Lady of the Book Part 3: New Dawn
by Athena191
Summary: Everyone was sure that she was dead, but someone from her dark past has other plans, and the Beings aren't quite done with her yet either. Her stunt at Helm's Deep was just the beginning of her real destiny. M for safety, 3rd part of Trilogy, set in ROTK
1. Aftermath

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the people from Lord of the Rings. These people belong to the beloved J.R.R.Tolkien. My only people are Aurora, Chad,Tansy,Arianna, Judith,Ray,Hazel,Prince Bardis,and the witch's council. Please don't use them without my permission. but if you ask...maybe.

I also use a lot of lines from the movie, these also belong to J.R.R. Tolkien and New line Cinema.

Chapter 1: Aftermath

Chad walked over all the corpses, it was an incredibly gruesome sight to be seen by the early morning light. The battle had ended, and amazingly enough, he wasn't dead…in fact he was on the victor's side. Watching Aurora walk out the hall's doors last night, he thought he was a dead man. But Gandalf had shown up with the Rohirrim, which turned out to be a surprise to Gandalf as well as everyone else. The horses had "Gotten a sudden burst of energy from nowhere" as the riders described it, though Chad knew exactly where it had come from. Aurora. He damn well what she had been going out there to do, crazy blonde that she was. That stupid spell that so many had tried and only one before her had pulled off without killing herself, Aurora Borealis(being the first and Aurora's namesake) the creator of the spell and the only one to survive using it. But his Aurora wouldn't go down without a fight and it appeared she had completed the spell since he was still alive. But what her fate was had yet to be seen.

That's where he was now, searching for his Princess, his teacher…his friend. They were all supposed to be cleaning up the bodies so they could be given an honorable death if they were men of Rohan or of Lorien, and to be burned and left for the birds if they were Uruks. But Chad wasn't worried about cleaning up the already confirmed dead, he was worried about Aurora, whose chance as slim as it was, could still be alive somewhere. Chad marveled at how good of a job she had done, he didn't see one Yaderin anywhere, which was an amazing relief because he didn't want to have to clean up those…things. Nope, his concern was Aurora. All the students were. Tansy of course had been called back to tend to the badly wounded and was doing her job quite well. Chad suddenly heard a heart-stopping, bone chilling scream that he recognized as Judith's. He had never heard such agony in a scream before, and he knew what she had come upon. He ran as fast as he could through the piles of bodies trying not to trip until he came upon her.

Judith was on her knees screaming at loud as she could, and Chad could see why. Aurora laid there, the Book clutched in her hands…and she looked very much dead. Chad knelt by Judith's side and wrapped his arms around her allowing her to continue her screaming in his shoulder and he felt her tears start to soak through his shirt. He looked away, He couldn't stand to look at Aurora like that. He heard more footsteps and glanced back to see Ray, Aragorn, Legolas, and Thèoden coming around the corner.

"Oh damn."Ray said as he caught sight of Aurora, "Is she…?"

"Go get Tansy, "Chad said flatly.

" It's not gonna matter is she's…"

"Go_ get Tansy." _Chad's voice took on a dangerous tone to it as he interrupted Ray, repeating his statement.

"Okay." Ray mumbled, taking one quick look at his twin to see how she faired and then ran off to find his friend. Aragorn walked over to Aurora and placed two fingers on her throat, feeling for a pulse. He left them there a minute before he shook his head and sighed. Chad clenched his jaw, he wasn't in denial, he just wanted to hear Tansy say. Another few minutes went by where only Judith's sobbing could be heard before the sound of hurried footsteps coming near could be heard. Tansy and Ray came around the corner and Tansy let out a startled gasp and turned her head away. She placed a hand over her mouth and took several deep breathes before turning around again to look at her teacher. Without a word she calmly walked over and knelt by Aurora. She placed a hand on her forehead and closed her eyes. Chad recognized this as a way for the Healer to determine the time of death. Tansy's eyes flashed back open and she furrowed her brow. She rolled Aurora over so she was on her back and placed her fingers on Aurora's throat.

"Milady I already…"

" Shhh." Tansy hissed sharply cutting Aragorn off. She pulled her fingers away and then leaned in putting her ear very close to Aurora's mouth. Her eyes took on a confused look as she pulled away and her eye browed furrowed in a scowl.

" What is it?" Chad asked, a sparkle of hope rising in him.

"I'm not sure…." Tansy said as she placed her hand on Aurora's head again, she closed her eyes and concentrated on her magic. Chad could hear the thrum of the magic pulsing through the two figures.

"Oh my Beings…" Tansy whispered as she pulled her hand away.

"Is she…?" Chad voice practically squeaked with excitement.

"She's...dead…but" Tansy couldn't seem to explain herself.

"But what?" Ray asked kneeling down next to Chad.

"Well she's… Look when a person dies…no wait…when…when a person is alive there is a…fingerprint, I'll call it a fingerprint, that says, 'hey this body is taken' so that no other soul can get into that body. And when a person dies this fingerprint goes away so that there's nothing in the body, it's just an empty shell. But Aurora's body still has that fingerprint that thing that says that this body still has something in it. I don't know how to explain it…."

"So she's not dead?" Judith asked pulling her head away from Chad's shoulder.

"No, no, she's dead, just not all the way…that is to say something won't let her die all the way. Something on the other side is keeping her soul from leaving her body by not letting her pass through to death all the way…she's in Limbo so to speak."

Judith looked from Chad to Ray and then over to Tansy, "Well what or who the hell is keeping her there?"


	2. Ressurecting the Dead

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the people from Lord of the Rings. These people belong to the beloved J.R.R.Tolkien. My only people are Aurora, Chad,Tansy,Arianna, Judith,Ray,Hazel,Prince Bardis,and the witch's council. Please don't use them without my permission. but if you ask...maybe.

I also use a lot of lines from the movie, these also belong to J.R.R. Tolkien and New line Cinema.

**A/N: Hello to all my readers. I hope you all are enjoying my trilogy, but only like 3 people review so I don't know what the general consensus about my story is. Don't be afraid of the review button it won't hurt you, and neither will I. I would love some feedback, so please, review. **

Chapter 2: Resurrecting the Dead

Aurora knew something was wrong. She didn't know if it was her or if it was her surroundings but something was wrong. Was it possible to be disappointed in death? Wasn't death supposed to be like a warm blanket that you wrap up in and forget everything about you're former life? You were supposed to feel content and safe…right? So why this cold numbing feeling? Aurora could still feel all her appendages and she was having coherent thoughts, and she hadn't forgotten anything about how she had gotten here. She was pretty sure she was standing, she assumed she was standing since the only thing that she could see around her was white…and that strange overwhelming silence that engulfed her very core.

And then there was that tugging feeling…like something was pulling her. It wasn't a physical pulling like someone tugging on her arm, no it was more a mental thing. It was pulling her to a light, _the _ light, Aurora suspected. In every book and every movie she had ever seen or read they said move towards the light. So she did….

………………………..

"Any change?" Chad had walked past the room where Aurora was for the hundredth time that day, praying that perhaps there would be some change, anything to let them know that she was okay. Tansy shook her head sadly and wouldn't even meet his eyes.

"Well can you give her anything like a shot of adrenaline or smelling salts or something to bring her back?"

"Chad I told you, nothing I do to her physically is going to change her condition, she's dead not unconscious. It's a waiting game, like a coma, we just have to see if she will come back. It just…"

"It just what?" Chad asked as he walked into the room and took a seat at the foot of the bed where Aurora was lain.

"It's just not a coma…It doesn't look good. I've read about these things in medical journals, and her chances are slim at best. But what can we do? I couldn't live with myself for giving up on her, but is it fair to let her keep wandering around in Limbo? She deserves some rest after all…" Chad reached over and patted Tansy's hand. She finally looked up at him and had tears in her eyes.

"As long as I've known Aurora she has been a fighter. If she wants to come back, she will. And if she wants to move on she will. Whatever reason that she's in Limbo, she knows it. I've never known Aurora to do something without reason. She knows things we can never know that the gift and curse of her Foresight. Trust her, whatever she's doing, there's a reason."

"But that's the thing. I don't think that she intended for this to happen. Limbo is a place where you soul is trapped! You can't have rest there, I don't think anyone would purposely choose it. It's the Netherworld for our kind basically. Why would she go there?" Chad opened his mouth to respond to Tansy but she cut him off before he could utter a sound. "She wouldn't. Something put her there. And I just want her to pick a place, even to be dead is better than to be there." Tansy was practically wailing now and Chad was trying without succeeding to comfort her.

"It's like you said it's a waiting game." Chad sighed and stood up to leave, "She'll find her way soon enough."

……………

Hell. That's where Aurora was, she couldn't believe that this was heaven. But then again would hell look like Central Park? It couldn't be mistaken for anywhere else. Aurora had practically grown up in this park. She recognized the path near the Conservatory Garden near the north side of the Park, and she recognized the benches nearby that had been her meeting place with …_him_ Definitely in hell. How else could she be doomed to relive this most painful of days? The last time that Aurora could remember feeling happy. She knew the exact day that it was, she knew the exact time that is was, and she knew who it was she was going to see when she rounded the bend in the path and came up to the benches.

She forced herself to put one foot in front of the other and walked the path in front of her. She looked at herself and was surprised to see that she wasn't wearing the clothes she had been wearing those six years ago. No, she was still in the attire of Middle Earth, but that seemed to be the only thing that was different. As she rounded the bend she saw what she expected, and her steps faltered._ Just face him you coward. _ She corrected herself and continued walking towards the bench. She got close so that she could see the person sitting there, but assumed that he couldn't see her. And now that she was this close it didn't seem like such a good idea…

"Hello Aurora." And the figure turned around to look at her. Too late to change her mind. He looked different than she remembered, but it was still him.

"Hello Travis."


	3. Ghost stories

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the people from Lord of the Rings. These people belong to the beloved J.R.R.Tolkien. My only people are Aurora, Chad,Tansy,Arianna, Judith,Ray,Hazel,Prince Bardis,and the witch's council. Please don't use them without my permission. but if you ask...maybe.

I also use a lot of lines from the movie, these also belong to J.R.R. Tolkien and New line Cinema.

**A/N: Thanks to the people that reviewed, I'm happy to know you all enjoy my story. Feel free to keep reviewing or if you need to know something or if you had a ****suggestion(****a.k.a**** criticism), I'm open for it.**

Chapter 3: Ghost Stories

"Aurora, come, sit…we are old friends there should not be this strain between us." The apparition that looked like Travis beckoned for Aurora to come around the front of the park bench to sit. She moved slowly around to the front of the bench, not quite believing the extraordinary circumstances. So many questions raced through her head all fighting to be the first to be asked. She opened her mouth to speak but he held up a hand for her silence.

"No. Let's not get into any of that till we get some of the obvious stuff out of the way. Sit and I'll explain everything." Aurora slowly took a seat of the far side of the bench from Travis. " Now then, the obvious stuff."

"You're...different." Aurora said slowly, all words deserting her brain at the same moment.

"Very good. I don't look like you last saw me, I changed myself. Being dead I don't technically have a physical appearance. I suppose this would be what I looked like if I had lived to see my…23rd year it would be now wouldn't it?" And Aurora could see that he did indeed look like and older version of the boy she had known, and a handsome one at that.

"This place, this isn't in one place or the other is it? We aren't in the Netherworld, we're not in heaven or hell."

Travis nodded, "A good observation. No this is a place that I made from a memory for the purpose of our meeting." To which Aurora opened her mouth again and Travis cut her off with a wave of his hand. " Later, Aurora, we'll get to that later." Aurora pursed her lips, this Travis was a bit more uncouth than the one she had known. He laughed without humor, " I'm sorry Aurora but you'll get ahead of yourself if I don't stop you and we'll end up going in circles wasting the time that we don't have. Now please…"

Aurora gave a short nod and sighed, " If this place isn't in any one area then neither am I, I'm in Limbo…so I'm…not dead." She said slowly watching Travis' face for any clue she was going the wrong direction.

"Bingo. Welcome to Limbo Princess Aurora." Travis gave a wide sweep of his hand to the area surrounding them.

"How?"

"How what?" Travis asked turning on the bench so he faced her more fully.

" How am I here? How are you here? _Why?" _Aurora watched Travis' face remain calm and he looked off into the distance for a minute as if organizing his thoughts.

" That's a lot to answer for. As for how you're here you remember the…ahem…stunt you pulled in Middle Earth I assume." Aurora nodded her head. "Good. Of course I suppose I should explain how I got here first shouldn't I? Well despite how much amusement the Beings seem to get out of messing up people's lives, they actually have a nice streak in them. They grant almost everyone who has had a "wrongful death" the opportunity to go back and say or do what they really wanted to do. All those 'ghost sightings'? They are all people just like me, who played a cameo role in the grander scheme of what the Beings wanted and they made it up to us."

"But if you were a ghost then I would have seen you when I was alive, not when I was stuck here in Limbo."

"Very true. But I never went back to Earth to say goodbye to anyone. I waited for now. Waiting to use my opportunity until now."

"But how would you know? I didn't even know I was going to do what I did until the second I did it…" Aurora shook her head and Travis gave out a half hearted chuckle his black hair moving slightly across his forehead.

" Do you really believe that? Do you really think that everything in your life, your personality even, wasn't leading up to this point?" His blue eyes ripped into her like a laser beam." You have no idea on how big a scale this whole thing is do you? Did you realize that the Beings themselves considered Sauron a threat? So much a threat that almost 3 thousand years ago they started to create a way to destroy him. Everything from the morals your parents had to teach to you were made to be that way. Every person that you met while in the Fellowship was created for the specific purpose of this journey. Frodo, Gimli, Boromir, their characteristics made for the purpose of all this playing out like it is. Every move you make wasn't calculated by the gods though, they just figured how each trait of each person would react to a situation. All of them did other things with their lives of course,but the intent was for this. "

"How could you know this?" Aurora whispered.

"You'd be surprised what you find out when you're dead." Travis mumbled flatly causing Aurora to turn and stare at him in disbelief. He only laughed in response.

"So you were…."

"…Created for the purpose of winning your heart and then dyeing so as to make you tougher and more reckless in your decision making. Though I can't complain. It was a honorable charge and I enjoyed every minute of the life they gave me."

"So you never ended up in the Netherworld?" Aurora said standing quickly, facing him in challenge." You never ended up in that horrible fate and never bothered coming back to tell me? You let me think that you were…And you even had the chance to tell me!"

" If I had come back to tell you then, half the universe would be plagued in wars because you wouldn't care to stop them, Middle Earth would be crumbling and you would be dead this very instant. So please sit back down so we can move onto other things." Aurora glared at him for a moment before taking her seat.

" I cried myself to sleep so many nights over that day…I saw it over and over again."

" It became part of who you are Aurora. It defined you're purpose. You had nothing left so you devoted yourself to keeping safe what everyone else had. It was all part of the plan, part of your destiny."

"You died and waited for this moment to stop me from dyeing because…"

"Haldir forgave you before he died. I am here to forgive you now. Because all that isn't going to be part of the new Aurora, she won't need it. You've become so very powerful in you magic, you've designed the future for Middle Earth, that Aurora doesn't need the anger and empty heartedness that those memories and that feud left you with."

"This is all so much."

"Yes it is. But you have been saved form Death and brought here so that you can fulfill the rest of your destiny."

"I'm sitting in Limbo talking to a dead ex-boyfriend who is telling me that all the bad things from my past are being erased and that I'm being given another life…If I don't wake up in a straight jacket I'll be surprised." At that Travis actually laughed.

"It is a lot. But you were always strong enough to survive it. You are a stronger person than I could have ever hoped to have been. I can't imagine that the Beings chose a better person to save the universe."

"But what about you?"

" I'm dead. I go back to where I came from. But you should know Aurora, even as It was happening I never held it against you. I cared for you too much to be mad about it, and it's not like I didn't know the risks I was getting involved with. I forgave you before you ever let go of my hand and let me fall into what you thought was an eternity in the Netherworlds. And every day that I was dead I wanted to reach out to you and tell you everything was going to be okay…" Travis stood up as he let his sentence drift off and offered his hand to Aurora, helping her to her feet. They started to walk up the path in the direction that Aurora had come from.

" You gotta go back now, it's been about two days or so in Middle Earth since you well…you know. I know everything is a bog shocker to you right now, but it doesn't change what you were doing in Middle earth, stay with the Fellowship and help Frodo. Everything else you need to do will reveal itself along the way." They stopped in front of the gate and Aurora turned back to Travis.

"I'm sorry Travis, about what happened, even if it was supposed to happen as part of destiny…"

"Don't do this to yourself Aurora, I told you that I forgave you, and I meant it. Now go, Sun's coming up in Middle Earth and you have lots to do, it's a new dawn for you."

"Thank you for everything." Aurora said and reached over and hugged Travis, which he returned. And as they pulled away Travis leaned down and kissed her check.

"Now go get 'em princess" he said and pushed her gently towards the white light at the end of the path. Aurora stepped up to the edge of the light and glanced back at Travis. He raised his hand in a farewell, and the world of Central Park and Travis dissolved going back to the simple white area that was Limbo as Aurora stepped into the light and her new dawn.


	4. The dawn is breaking

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the people from Lord of the Rings. These people belong to the beloved J.R.R.Tolkien. My only people are Aurora, Chad,Tansy,Arianna, Judith,Ray,Hazel,Prince Bardis,and the witch's council. Please don't use them without my permission. but if you ask...maybe.

I also use a lot of lines from the movie, these also belong to J.R.R. Tolkien and New line Cinema.

Chapter 4: The dawn is breaking

Air rushed into her lungs as Aurora had to force herself to breathe. A Searing pain followed and a strangled gasp emanated from her throat. Her body protested this abuse as it was force to be used after two days of disuse. She contuined to take gasping breathes and the pain in her chest moved to other parts f her body. Her limbs tingled as the nerves began to take in feeling and as the blood rushed and the muscle was forced to move. Every second brought a new level of agonizing pain. Aurora tried to open her eyes to assure herself that she was alive and not, in fact, in hell. Mistake. The pain brought on from her lungs was nothing compared to the instant blinding migraine that assaulted her brain as light rushed into her eyes. She wanted to scream. She wanted to go back to the numbness of death. She wanted anything but this pain! It felt like breathing in knives. The pain started to fade in her chest though it didn't disappear, and she blinked her eyes a few times to focus the light. She felt a set of hands on her shoulders and a dark blur filled her sight. The blur made a sound…a horribly loud sound. Aurora flinched and tried to pull away., but it held her fast. Breathe, blink, breathe, blink. She consciously reminded herself again and again. Eventually the blur took a shape and she came to recognize the noises.

"Aurora? Oh my sweet beings, Aurora is that you? Aurora?"

"Ughhh." Aurora tried to mumble a reply but her voice box refused to work for her. She swallowed but it did her not good since her throat was dry as a bone. She stared up at Tansy's face and tried to force her voice to work.

"Huh?" It was raspy at best, and it wasn't even a really coherent thought, but it was a word. And that was a big step for her right now.

"Oh my, you're alive!" Aurora flinched again as Tansy' voice raised decibel or two in excitement. Tansy let go of Aurora's shoulders and she slumped back onto the bed. Tansy stood up and made a move for the door and then decided against leaving Aurora in this state, returned to the bed.

"Do you need anything?"Tansy asked as she helped Aurora sit up. Aurora's vision began to swim and she put a hand on her forehead hoping that would make the colorful spots swirling about her room sit still for a moment. Aurora opened her mouth to reply, but only a cough came out; brought on by the dry throat she was experiencing. Tansy seemed to get the point and made her way to the table across the room which had a pitcher and a few cups on it and poured a cup of water for her teacher.

"You had a really scared there for a while. It was touch and go, and I won't lie, I thought you weren't coming back. Didn't look too promising when we found you."

"Who?" Even with the water her throat still protested the idea of trying to speak, and it hurt to try to get more than a word out at a time.

"Who found you?" Aurora nodded. "Judith did, boy was _she _upset." Tansy said a very empathetic look on her face. Aurora's heart practically broke at the thought of her very own student finding her dead, and how crumbling that would be. And then a second though hit her: no one but Tansy knew she was alive. For all she knew, they were still grieving her death. Aurora dropped the cup and swung herself out of the bed, water splashing everywhere. Her legs though, cramped and stiff from not being used for two days didn't feel the need to hold her up and she collapsed to her knees on the stone floor.

"Aurora what are you doing?" Tansy took a step her help her but Aurora raised a hand to stop her. She pushed herself back to her feet and forced to legs to keep her upright with all the mental will she had. Her head was swimming and the blood was pounding in her ears, somewhere inside she knew moving only a few minutes after coming back from the dead was a really bad idea. She took a few wobbly steps to the door and had to think about how to open a door and then force her unwilling fingers to do so. Her body protested every single movement she made, and the pain was increasing with every step; but she kept moving. Stumbling out of the room she came into the great hall of Helm's Deep. She blinked a few times adjusting to the much brighter light brought on by the combination of candles and windows. She stumbled into a pillar and used the large stone to keep her balance, tansy right behind her the whole time ready to catch her if her balance should fall, but unable to help her mentor in any other way.

All of her students were in the Hall as well as Hazel, Bardis, Aragorn, Gimli, Gandalf, Legolas, Eomer, and Theoden, and it appeared that Chad had gotten himself into a tussle with the king, but Aurora couldn't be bothered to care; seeing all of her students alive and unharmed almost made her topple over right there. Legolas was the only one to notice the small disturbance she was making in the corner of the room. As soon as he saw her he abandoned his place by Gimli and made his way with haste to where she leaned against the pillar. The closer he got, a warm feeling welled up inside of her chest, relief and joy mixing together and she did collapse, thankfully Legolas was close enough to catch her. He pulled her back onto her feet and into a tight embrace. The rest of the room now noticed her presence and anything that they had been doing was forgotten and they raced to see her. Someone shrieked with joy and she assumed that it was Arianna.

"I was so afraid for you." It took a moment for the words being whispered in her ear to be registered and she realized that it was Legolas talking to her. Her throat tightened, not only from the lack of water and use, but she was unable to reply to his words. She was released from Legolas' embrace and caught up in Bardis'. Every emotion she could think of filled her and she almost wept just for the sake of weeping and she was passed from Bardis' embrace to Chad's.

"Thank God you're…you're…warm, really warm, like burning hot." Chad said as he suddenly lept away from their embrace. Aurora looked very confused and peered down at herself to make sure she wasn't on fire. Legolas touched her forehead and shook his head confused.

"She doesn't fell any warmer to me." Tansy pushed her way through the throng of people to test the temperature that had obviously been overlooked by her earlier. She reached her hand up to touch Aurora's forehead but hadn't even gotten within half a foot of her before pulling her had away as If burned.

"Yeah that's like a searing hot." The Healer said glancing down at her hand to check for burn marks.

"Oh, " Hazel said as a light dawned in her eyes. " Of course."

"Of course what?" Aurora rasped out.

"Show me your aura." It was a simple command, but Aurora hesitated. Everyone that was close to her took a step back giving her plenty of room. Aurora shut her eyes for a moment and allowed for her aura to show, the magic feeling almost alien to her . A collective gasp went up from her students and against her better judgement, Aurora opened her eyes.

The red was gone. Completely non-existent. The bright red seemed as though it never existed. It had been replaced….by a white haze that now surrounded Aurora.

"Holy crap." The throaty gasp escaped from her mouth. White auras were myths, never had one been seen or even really existed, except as legend had it, on her great ancestor and namesake. "How?" She whispered, more to herself than anyone.

"It's not possible, " Arianna said breathlessly.

" Yes it is," Hazel said, her voice ever calm and stoic. "Just not naturally."


	5. What lies beneath

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the people from Lord of the Rings. These people belong to the beloved J.R.R.Tolkien. My only people are Aurora, Chad,Tansy,Arianna, Judith,Ray,Hazel,Prince Bardis,and the witch's council. Please don't use them without my permission. but if you ask...maybe.

I also use a lot of lines from the movie, these also belong to J.R.R. Tolkien and New line Cinema.

Chapter 5: What lies beneath

Aurora rubbed her temples, the initial migraine form her waking up hadn't gone away, and the little aches and pains in her body hadn't fully subsided either. She didn't remember this kind of pain from last time…of course she had been so happy to be back that she probably had relished in the pain. But now it was just a pain in the neck, no pun intended. Now Hazel's more than confusing information was only adding to the pain throbbing in her skull. She looked over at Bardis and could see he was having much the same problem.

The three of them, Aurora, Bardis and Hazel sat in her room together: Hazel in the chair, Aurora on the bed and Bardis leaning up against the table. Hazel had requested that she share the information alone with Aurora, but in the whirlwind of everything going on with her return, opted to bring her best friend along in case of emotional support. Now she wished she had thought to bring an aspirin with her.

"Okay so run this by me again. My aura changed because I died?"

Hazel sighed in frustration at not being able to make this easier on the younger two." In a sense. You see a witches aura is controlled by the fact that they are mortal. Mortality can only allow for so much inside the body. Sauron is powerful because he immortalized himself in a sense by attaching his soul to an object, in that same way by coming back from death you changed the bounds of mortality on you."

"Well if that was true then why wouldn't that have happened the _first _time, or have you forgotten that Aurora does this once every few years?" Bardis said his voice thick with sardonic attitude. Aurora shot him a glare but couldn't argue with the valid point that he made. Her aurora hadn't reached the white level the first time this happened.

" Because, she wasn't actually dead, she just wasn't alive…. Look if this is life" Hazel held up her left hand, " and this is death," she held up her right hand about a foot apart from her left, " She was in between, closer to death than life. So in a technical sense she was dead because she had passed this point of life, " She emphasized this statement by shaking her left hand up and down a little, " But she hadn't actually reached the point of no return. Being in Limbo releases the hold of mortality upon you because if you are not technically alive then mortality can't hold back your aura. You hadn't gone far enough past the point of not being alive to gain that much power. And because your aura expands when you die, it can't be rebound. So if you come back the new found power comes with you."

" Okay so in simpler terms, I wasn't dead enough to have a white aura the first time, but I was this time." Hazel gave a small nod as Aurora continued, " So does this mean my magic is limitless?"

" I cannot know the answer to that, " Hazel said with a sigh, " A white aura is by all definitions only a myth. You'll be the first recorded witch to have a white aura. Your magic will change as well as your Gift, but limitless? I have no idea." With that she gave a helpless shrug. Aurora sat in silence for a moment before nodding her head, the mountain of information given to her finally sinking in and sticking.

" So what happened to you in Limbo? Or can't you remember?" Bardis finally broke the uncomfortable silence.

" I saw Travis." She said very quietly after taking a moment to contemplate whether to tell them or not.

"Travis? But he was in the Netherworld….." Hazel said, the end of her sentence trailing off.

" No he wasn't. I was made to believe that he was, but the Beings spared him that fate. He told me….he told me so many things, about my fate about my life. It was overwhelming at the time, but the gist of it was that I was supposed to keep living because I hadn't finished something yet. And then he forgave me." The last part came as part of a sigh.

"You mean he…"

"He looked me straight in the eye and forgave me for killing him. Just like Haldir forgave me."

"Haldir forgave you? When did this happen?" Bardis stood up more erect and pushed off the table.

"Right before he died. I was with him when he…fell…and the last thing he said was that he forgave me. Travis said that all this was because I didn't need it. The Aurora that was being sent back didn't need the emotional burdens of those two incidents. So I was forgiven so to release myself from that strain. I'm still trying to figure out what the hell he was talking about, hopefully it'll just take a little time."

" What started as a simple trip to retrieve that Book of yours has turned into something far more profound I believe." Hazel said , her world weary eyes holding a silent fear. Aurora sat in silence for a moment before standing up, a grave look on her face, and headed for the door.

" I have been away far too long and there is much we still need to do." With that she left the room. Bardis and Hazel let out a collective sigh.

" I certainly hope her magic isn't limitless." Bardis said quietly as he came over to help Hazel out of her chair.

"Why ever not my dear elfing Prince?"

"With what She just said? We are looking at an extremely powerful witch whose emotionally stabilizing past, which prevented her from doing anything too aggressive, has now vanished replaced by a white aura and possibly limitless magic. And the only she has left to aim it as, happens to be the grudge he holds against one white wizard of Isengard. "

……….

She was different. Legolas could see it the minute she stumbled out of her room that she was different. It was in her eyes, her eyes never lied. Through his time knowing her there had always been this fog in her eyes, this underlying sense of being…haunted. Hell if he had survived what she had then he would be haunted too. But that was gone now, it had been replaced by something; a look he had seen before.

The first time he had seen her at the Council. The way she had seemed to look through people….it was permanent in her eyes now. And the way she walked now: as if a burden had been lifted, she looked more bold, more confident, more regal…more like a queen. It fascinated and frightened him at the same time.

He watched as she walked out of the great hall and into the courtyard outside. He hesitated only a minute before following her out the door. She stood just outside the doorway her face lifted to the sky blinking rapidly to adjust to the high noon light. Unable of how to approach her in this state he just watched from a distance, though he was sure she knew he was already there. He was right.

"I do many strange things Legolas, I do not however, bite people. So you can come within a closer range of me." She hadn't even bothered to turn around, she just kept staring at the sky. Even when he moved to stand next to her she didn't look at him.

"I didn't want to disturb you."

" From what? Getting a migraine from this horribly bright sun? Please…distract me."And with that she did glance at him and he caught the look of sarcasm that played across her eyes.

" I should think after what you just went through the 'horribly bright sun' would be a welcome sight." She glanced at him again when he finished his sentence and scoffed a bit.

"Yes but at the same time how disappointing a feeling to know that you can't die in peace because the universes which revolve around such a sun, are in that bad a condition." He could feel the waves of isolation pouring off her. And it hit him with a terrible force, this witch who was considerably younger than him had died twice, a fate which he as an elf did need to worry about all that often, and she had not only died, but come back.

When Aurora glanced at him the third time, he knew that no attempt at a blank face could possibly hide the guilt he felt. He knew it was hanging like a sign over his forehead, one that she could see in perfect clarity. Concern replaced the stoic expression that had been carefully placed as her façade.

" You feeling ok?"

"Just a hard thought to understand fully. When this battle began , I was afraid….because for the first time in my life, death was a real factor that I would face. And I loathed the idea of that. But you…having died before and come back into a life you no doubt cherished, ad you willingly and readily threw yourself back at death. It is humbling to know what you would have given up for us…" They stood in silence for a moment, letting his words sink in. There was just the slightest sense of tension and it was coming from Aurora…had he made her uncomfortable? She moved away from him suddenly finding something that peaked her interest away from him, worth daring a migraine from the sun. It was a slow fluid moment as she moved and she barely turned her head to cast a sentence over shoulder.

"If only it had been so cherishable."


	6. Reparations

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the people from Lord of the Rings. These people belong to the beloved J.R.R.Tolkien. My only people are Aurora, Chad,Tansy,Arianna, Judith,Ray,Hazel,Prince Bardis,and the witch's council. Please don't use them without my permission. but if you ask...maybe.

I also use a lot of lines from the movie, these also belong to J.R.R. Tolkien and New line Cinema.

**Author's note: Thank you everybody that has been reviewing, and ****thanx**** to the new people that added me to story alerts and favorite author, it means a lot! Now as for the chapter below, if you pay really close attention to the movies, you will probable note that there is a huge chunk of dialogue between Gandalf and Saruman that I pulled out, only because I felt it didn't really speed things along the way I needed it to be, so I ****kinda**** just jumped right to where ****Grima**** comes in.**** And I also pulled out some small dialogue between Theoden and Saruman.**** I hope no one's world will end because this has been excluded, however if you are terribly offended by this absence and never read my story again I will understand ;) **

Chapter 6: Reparations

Sitting on a horse for several hours after being dead for two days constituted a whole new level pain. Not a stabbing pain but more of a festering pain, like a cut that itches but you can't scratch it for fear of making it worse. Aurora fidgeted for the hundredth time in the saddle, certain that she was pissing the horse off as well as the other people riding around her. Suddenly she wished she hadn't demanded to go to Isengard and had opted to go with her students to Edoras. She smiled slightly when she thought about all the fuss they (and by 'they' she meant Chad) had put up at not being able to go with her, if only they _had _come they would see just how unpleasant riding a horse for this long could really be. Hell even if she had brought Bardis with her it couldn't have been so bad, but she had sent him back to his home after a good hour of arguing. Honestly she had been truly touched at his need to look after her , she knew her predicament, if Bardis had just come back from death she wouldn't let him out of her sight. But this was different, and Bardis didn't belong getting involved with this world's problems lest he drag his own Dimension into this…Beings forbid. She sighed and fidgeted again, wishing she could just stop and stretch her legs for even a moment.

"Are you going to be alright? Or were we wrong to let you ride alone?" Legolas, who had been riding alongside her now for a ways, and had done an exceedingly good job of not saying anything, finally spoke up about her constant movement. She glanced sideways at him, noticing the whimsical look of his face, and knew he was referring to her polite refusal to ride with him earlier. When he had first hugged her after her return from death she had prayed her would hold on just a bit longer than he had, who knows what would have occurred if she had been forced to sit in such close proximity on a horse for several hours. Aurora was beginning to think her head hadn't come back quite right.

"I'm fine Legolas. Just because I haven't wasted a couple thousand years on the back of one of these things _like some elves I know_ doesn't mean I can't handle it." Aurora heard Gimli chuckle from his seat behind Legolas and she sent the pair an innocent smile.

"My concern wasn't for you _Princess, _"He replied calmly but with a smile, " It was for the horse." Gimli's chuckle turned to outright laughter. Unable to think of anything to say back Aurora simply stuck her tongue out at him, but found it difficult to pretend to be offended so she just laughed. Aurora sighed and looked around at the trees of Fangorn that had been surrounding them for a while now.

"Are we there yet?" She sighed, more than a little exasperated.

"Just a bit my further my dear, through these trees up ahead." Gandalf called back to her, and she blushed at being caught whining so loud. The color on her face soon turned from a blush to a totally different kind of flushed face when she saw two small men sitting on the the pile of rubble that was the wall around Isengard.

"Welcome my lords, "Merry said as he stood up, pipe in hand, " To Isengard."

"You young rascals! A merry hunt you've led us on and now we find you feasting and..and smoking!"

"We are sitting on a field a victory, enjoying a few well earned comforts, " Pippin and Merry gave a sly smile and everyone's look of surprise, " The salted pork is particularly good." Aurora watched the exchange and could only shake her head, an overwhelming feeling of relief in her heart. Merry and Pippin's well being had resided in her head for a while, but she hadn't had much time to think about them, a thought that twinged with guilt.

" We're under orders from Treebeard, whose taken over management of Isengard."

"Oh really? And what orders are those? Loot the cellars for food and sit on the wall getting high and drunk?" Aurora rolled her eyes.

"In a nutshell." Merry said indignantly.

"Well then, perhaps we should go talk to Treebeard about what has transpired here today. Come along you two." Gandalf said to the hobbits and they scrambled to get all their belongings. Aurora motioned for Pippin to take a seat behind, and he gladly hopped on.

" It's wonderful to see that your well. After got separated from each other the only thing I've done is worry about, ask Merry, go ahead and ask him." Pippin said spit fire style as he hopped on the horse behind Aurora. She glanced sideways at Merry and the rolling of his eyes was all the affirmation she needed. "It is really nice to see your alright, heaven forbid something bad happen to you." Gimli let out a snort at this and everyone turned to look at him. Aurora less than subtly put a finger to her lips and shushed him, but offered no details to the hobbits about her escapades.

The group moved on and Aurora was shocked to see the extent of the damage done by the Ents. Everything was under a few feet of water, not to mention the piles of rubble, the downed trees and the mechanical stuff Saruman had been using for his war factories.

"Good grief what did you two do?" Aurora whispered over her shoulder to Pippin, who could only shrug a reply. They neared the tall black tower, and a strange feeling started to rise from the pit of her stomach…giddiness? The idea that _he _was finally going to get what was coming to him…oh yes, giddiness it was.

"Young master Gandalf, I'm glad you've come." The incredibly tall Ent that Aurora assumed was Treebeard met them at the entrance of Orthanc. A nasty taste formed in her mouth as she looked upon the sight, the place where that most hated man lived, " Wood and water, stock and stone I can manage: but there's a wizard to manage here. Locked up in his tower." A moment of silence passed in the group, all contemplating the next step.

"Show yourself." Aragorn mumbled, more to himself than to the tall black tower in front of them.

"Be careful, even in defeat Saruman is dangerous."Gandalf shushed him.

"Especially in defeat." Aurora confirmed.

"Well than let's just have his head and be done with it." Gimli exclaimed, ever the one for quiet diplomacy.

"No, we need him alive. We need him to talk."

"I disagree, " Aurora said in a hushed tone. Gandalf shot her a look in response that simply said 'shut up'. She shrugged knowing full well how this whole thing was going to end.

"You have fought many wars and slain many men, Theoden king, and made peace afterwards. Can we not take council together as we once did, my old friend? Can we not have peace, you and I?" Everyone's head shot up at the sound of Saruman's voice. The white figure was standing atop his tower looking down on all them from the high altitude. Aurora glanced sideways to see what Theoden's response would be.

"We shall have peace."Aurora's eyebrows nearly shot off her head in surprise at his response, thinking it was the only thing he had to say, "we shall have peace..when you answer for the burning of the West fold and the children that lie dead there. We shall have peace when the soldiers whose bodies were hewn even as they dead against the gates of the Hornberg are avenged! When you hang form a gibbet for the sport of your own crows, then we shall have peace." Theoden hissed the last part out as he stared Saruman down. Aurora glanced back up at the wizard knowing this would only infuriate him.

"Gibbets and Crows?!Doubter!" He replied back, then he turned his attention to a different member of the group.

"And what do you want Gandalf Greyhame? Let me guess the Key of Orthanc or perhaps the keys of Baradur? Along with the crowns of the Seven kings and the rods of the five wiazards?" Gandalf didn't rise to the challenge, Aurora however wasn't so patient when Saruman turned his attention to her." And what of you _witch_?What is it you want? A peace for all people and to watch evil be destroyed? You stupid silly little girl, to believe that you and that excuse for magic could have taken down Sauran."

"That's the pot calling the kettle black if you believe that I am here on business. My being here is personal, you toad, and you know it." She shouted, resisting the urge to tell him what she really thought about all this.

"Oh yes, to avenge the deaths of your parents. Foolish leaders they were, to trust and befriend m despite the warnings they got from others, even their own Council! They got what was coming to them."

"You talk pretty big for a guy that's looking death right in the face. "

"Oh?" Saruman glared daggers right through her," And who is going to kill me? You?!" Aurora laughed, it was a cold malicious laugh and made everyone cringe.

"I don't have to kill you Saruman. You have determined your own fate, and nothing I say or do is going to change that now. For all that talk and the "I'm invincible" act you put up, you screwed yourself. And I can tell you down to the second, how much time you have to live. And it's not much." Saruman turned his attention from her at this, and back to Gandalf.

"Even if I were to die you still have no hope." Before anyone had the chance to retaliate to this sentence, Grima appeared from behind Saruman. Aurora cringed at the sight of the wormy little man and couldn't believe he looked even more pathetic than before.

"Grima," Theoden addressed the black clothed man," You need not follow him. You were not always as you are now. You were once a man of Rohan. Come down. Be free of him." Aurora was surprised to see that's Theodens words had an effect on Grima, and it even looked as though he were going to listen.

"Free?!" Saruman sounded incredulous." He will never be free!" Aurora could tell that Saruman was struggling to maintain his little illusion of his absolute power he had created for himself. But try as he might, his power was slipping and everyone knew it.

"No," Grima's voice was quiet, as if he were begging Saruman.

"Get down cur!" Saruman turned around and slapped Grima. Aurora smiled to herself when she heard the sound of the slap, she knew now ….She had seen this before….

"Saruman you were deep in the enemies' council, tell us what you know." There was an insistence in the way Gandalf spoke.

"You withdraw your guard and I will tell you where your doom will be decided." Saruman said. Aurora sighed and smile up at him unable to _not _anything.

"Speaking of doom, tell me Saruman how does it feel from your point of view to get stabbed in the back?" There was venom laced in her sentence and her meaning was pretty clear. But before Saruman could react and turn to face Grima, a knife had been put in his back. Grima stabbed Saruman again and again thrusting the knife in as deep as it could go. Legolas pulled out an arrow and shot Grima. Aurora would have taken the time to praise the shot, considering how far away the target was and that Legolas had gotten him right through the heart, but she was too busy watching her adversary fall from the top of the tower.

She watched him plummet, spinning head over heels about twice, amazed that he had missed every single decorative spiral and parapet of the tower as he fell the few hundred feet. Her eyes almost bugged out of her head as Saruman was impaled on a giant wooden wheel that sat at the base of his tower. A hand went to her face to cover her mouth, whether to suppress a gasp or a smile she didn't know nor care. The bastard had finally gotten what he deserved. Unfortunately not everyone felt the same as her as she could tell by the look of Gandalf's face as he turned to look at her.

"What have you _done?"_


	7. Suppressed memories

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the people from Lord of the Rings. These people belong to the beloved J.R.R.Tolkien. My only people are Aurora, Chad,Tansy,Arianna, Judith,Ray,Hazel,Prince Bardis,and the witch's council. Please don't use them without my permission. but if you ask...maybe.

I also use a lot of lines from the movie, these also belong to J.R.R. Tolkien and New line Cinema.

Chapter 7: Suppressed memories

………………………………

_I don't think you notice  
When you see my face  
I guess you're waiting __To spin me around again  
__Wheels I guess are turning__ Somewhere inside my head__  
I know that this is __Deeper than you get  
__But you're coming back again__  
You don't mean to waste my time  
__But you're coming back so  
__[Chorus_

_Don't tell me  
__How to be__'Cause I like some suffering  
__Don't ask me __What I need__  
I'm just fine__  
Here finding me__  
Me_

_I've already given __Up on getting through__  
I never question __Who I'm talking to  
__Oh so much for nothing__ But nothing means so much__  
I know it's touching __But I've been out of touch  
__And it's all that I can do__  
I'm a sight for my sore eyes  
__But it's all I am so_

_[Chorus_

_I don't think you notice __When I can't reach__ out  
I guess you're waiting__ On somebody else again  
__Oh so much for talking__ It's all been said before__  
I'm hearing something__ but I wish you'd just say more  
__But you're going off again__  
When I try to just hold on  
__But you're going off so_

_chorus_

-Finding Me, Vertical horizon

…………………………………..

"What have _I _done?" Aurora turned around to stare at the new White Wizard. "I didn't push him off the top of a building Gandalf."

"Do not try to act innocent of this, I am not so old and ignorant as you think young lady."

"Well then do not assume to have an understanding of things that are well beyond your reach." Aurora hissed as she slid off her horse and into the shallow water.

" I know of what you did at Helm's Deep. I know you adjusted the future, tampered with the course of things, how tempting to take vengeance on someone you didn't hide a dislike for."

" Well why do you suppose that was?"

"We needed him alive!" Gandalf thundered rearing his horse around to he could glare down at the witch princess. " You made a selfish decision that jeopardized our world. You had no right…"

"_YOU HAVE NO RIGHT! _You have no right to question me and my decisions! I have a greater understanding about what will happen to this world than you can imagine. I have seen it, and if he had lived her would have done nothing but been a catalyst for the coming destruction. Do you really believe he would have handed any information about Sauran's plans over to you? He had no intention of doing such, he is never to be trusted, I above all else know the consequences of doing such." Aurora turned away and walked over to the wheel that Saruman was still impaled on. She continued to stare as she addressed Gandalf further. " He was the living persona of everything corrupt, evil, and just wrong. He was breeding things in his basement for crying out loud. And you only know half of the evil he was involved in, he dealt more pain and suffering through the other Dimensions than you can know…and that I have seen. "

Aurora lifted her hand up, palm facing Saruman's impaled corpse. She rotated her hand around slowly until the palm was facing upwards. As her hand moved the wheel the body was on slowly turned, causing the body to sink below the water and out of sight.

"You're right, I wanted him dead. I wanted him dead more than you can know. I lost my parents to him, and I know I am not the only one. Who knows how many lives have been ruined because of his involvement? But I didn't have to touch his future…he condemned himself by being abusive, controlling, and power hungry. And I wouldn't have changed his death for anything. We just have to find another way of uncovering Sauran's plans."

"And how to you suggest we do that? We have no hints as to where to begin searching." Theoden's voice sounded from behind Gandalf, covering the noise of Pippin's trek through the water to where Saruman's body was submerged." We would need a miracle."

"Pippin?" Aragorn asked noticing that his small companion was missing. Everyone turned to see the small Hobbit standing waist deep in the water holding the palantir and everyone's eyes were immediately drawn to it.

"That'll work." Aurora said.

"Pippin my lad, I'll take that."Gandalf held his hand out for the orb and Pippin, with poorly concealed hesitancy, handed it over. "While we are here I suggest we make the best of it. We will search the tower for any hint of the coming attack."

Everyone that had remained on a horse dismounted and followed Gandalf up the steps cautiously. Everyone that is except Aurora who stared at the black tower and wasn't moving. A very dark feeling was rising in the back of her mind, not a foreboding something darker. Legolas noticed this and went to her side. Neither one said anything, he just held out his hand to her. Wordlessly she took it and allowed him to lead her up the stairs and into the dark tower from her childhood.

………….

"I have searched through every room in this tower and have found nothing of any use." Gandalf said slightly dejected. For the last few hours the group had gone through everything in Saruman's tower and hadn't found anything that would have led them to believe Saruman was traitorous in the least. Aurora stood in the middle of his sitting room, the large black throne was in the far corner, and the pedestal where the palantir had rested in the center of the room. Aurora had placed herself next to the pedestal and hadn't moved since she had entered the tower. A throbbing had started in the back of her head as soon as she had come through the door and hadn't stopped. Little whispers and flashes of memory she had packed down in the back of her mind…suppressed, never to be revisited. They had first started when she had first started quite softly, right after her first vision back in New York. Now that she was in Orthanc they had become overpowering. It was too familiar, this damn black tower…she had spent too many days here…here with her father, and someone that was supposed to be an ally. She put a palm to her forehead and closed her eyes hoping they vision would calm down.

"Milady are you alright?" Eomer stood next to her, a clear look of concern on his face. Everyone else, oblivious to her ailment before glanced at her equally concerned. Aurora shook her head and pushed away from the pedestal and headed for the exit.

" Yeah I'm ok I think I just need some air." She turned back to give the men a reassuring look, but the sight made her stop. Gandalf all clad in white, stood in front of the black wall, the only one that didn't have a door...something in Aurora's mind snapped. A vision from the back of her mind…a white wizard, a black wall…a door. She groaned and put a hand over her face and leaned against the wall.

"Aurora." Eomer took a step towards her.

"I gotta get outta here." She bolted, down the stairs and into the world outside the tower. She hit the water running and continued to run past the horses, past the Ents, until she was outside the wall back in the forest and on dry land. She collapsed to the ground holding her head.

"STOP!" She screamed, visions from her past flooding her head.She dug her nails into her flesh hoping the pain would pull her from her past. Suddenly she felt two strong arms around, pulling her against a solid chest. She heard Elvish being whispered into her ears, a soothing sound amidst the chaos in her head. Minutes went by, and the voices and memories slowly subside, and her nerves calmed.

"Thank you." She whispered as she pulled away from the protective embrace.

"What was that?" Legolas silver eyes boor into hers, as he moved into a more comfortable sitting position on the ground.

"It was…it's my suppressed memories. Everything I tried to forget has just been flooding back to me. Especially now that we're here. When I was younger, my dad would spend many days here with Saruman, when they were ally's. I would spend that time with my dad too. After they died and I found that it had been Saruman behind the murder, I tried to forget everything, locking it in the back of my mind. Now that we came here, it's all coming back."

"There must be more than just him in there." Legolas said, "Memories of someone you hate don't break you down like, they would just make you uncontrollably angry." Aurora sighed and nodded.

"Well like I said, time with Saruman was time with my dad, so trying to suppress one is suppressing the other. Needless to say, it hurts like crazy to think about him. We were really close." Aurora started to draw a circle in the dirt with her toe. "I thought if…"

"If what?"

"When I first saw Saruman's fate, I knew I was going to die, I thought 'if I'm going down I'm taking this bastard with me,' so his fate was already sealed when I came back. So I figured If he dies my memories won't bother me anymore, because he's gone. It hasn't worked out that way. He's dead and my memories are still there." She sighed again and noticed her circle in the dirt was taking on a heart shape and proceeded to scratch it out.

"If only it really worked like that. Unfortunately you have to face all of them one at a time."

"That seems like an aweful lot for one person." Aurora mumbled.

Legolas gave her a wink, "I didn't say you had to do it alone." He then turned his attention to the direction the tower was and noticed that the other men were headed towards them.

" I have decided that it is too late now for us to ride back to Edoras, we will stay here for the night and head back in the morning, " Gandalf announced as soon as they were all back together. Everyone nodded and started to make a small camp.

……………

It had to be getting close to midnight, at least that's what Aurora judged by the position of the moon. She had been lying there awake for hours, waiting until she was sure everyone else was fast asleep. As quietly as she could she got out of her sleeping roll and headed for the tower. Trying not to make noise while trudging through water was harder than Aurora thought it could have been , and more than once she swore she had woken someone up. She started to shake as she got close to Orthanc, she was out of her mind and she knew it. She climbed the stairs and entered the tower and was instantly covered in darkness, they light from the moon and stars not entering here. She held her hand out and concentrated on forming a small glowing orb in her hand. The magic cast an eerie blue light over everything. She climbed up the stairs until she was back in the room she had been in earlier when her memories had come back. She saw the throne and the pedestal; she walked past them both and went straight to the wall. She placed the hand that wasn't housing her light on the cold black stone and focused to find the magic concealing the door.

"What are you doing?" Aurora screamed when she heard the voice behind her and spun around dropping the orb and the light disappeared as the ball melted into the ground. Thrust back into darkness, Aurora leaned against the wall unsure of who she was now in the dark room with.

"What are you doing here Aurora?" Aurora sighed when she recognized Legolas' voice.

"You scared the hell out of me."

"That's what you deserve for sneaking off into the night. Especially here of all places, you have no idea what could still be lurking about. You could have at least asked someone to come with you."

" Not much of a sneaking job if you come with me now is it?" She snorted and re-light the glowing orb. The light hit Legolas' smiling face.

"With how much noise you made it wasn't much of a sneaking job anyhow." Aurora laughed with him and then turned her attention back to the wall. "What are you looking for?" Legolas inquired after watching her a few minutes.

"There's a door here. I remember…I just don't know how to open it." She rested her palm on it again and focused. "It's magically sealed. Guess we gotta do this the hard way." Aurora stepped back from the wall and went to stand beside Legolas." Plug your ears, this is going to be loud. Hopefully we don't wake anybody else." She mumbled the last part to herself as she raised a hand in the direction of the wall. An energy pulse propelled away from her hand and smashed into the wall. The door, for now Legolas could see there was a door, had been blasted open right off the hinges, revealing a secret room. Aurora waved her hand in front of her face as if shooing the dust away from her.

"That was loud." Was all Legolas could mumble as he stared at the damage. Aurora didn't hear him though, she was already in the room inspecting what was inside. It was a private study, it had books and maps of other worlds, of Middle earth. There were maps that showed the movement of Saruman's Uruk hai, personal documents where he had written down in detail the making of the Uruks…there was enough traitorous evidence in here to have Saruman hung for treason in every Dimension a thousand times over. It seemed that neither Saruman nor Sauran had any intention of keeping the battle here in just Middle Earth. But Aurora wasn't paying attention to any of that.

On the wall above the desk strewn with paper next to the overflowing bookshelf was a picture. It depicted two men, one was Saruman, and the other was a man that Legolas didn't recognize, but it looked as though Aurora did. Both men were smiling, standing on a stage shaking hands in front of an entire assembly of people. Legolas could reasonable assume that the second man was Aurora's father, Troy. Both Legolas and Aurora stared at the picture for a few minutes, until without warning, Aurora lifted a fist and with a shriek that would turn the dead over in their graves, she smashed her hand into the glass of the picture. Legolas jumped in surprise at her sudden action as she proceeded to repeatedly beat her fist into the picture until you couldn't tell what it was anymore. Legolas jumped to action and grabbed her now bleeding hand. She struggled against him but he pulled her against his body, and she gave into him. They both sank to the floor, Aurora shaking in Legolas' arms. Legolas attempted to soothe her by stroking her bleeding knuckles and whispering into her hair.

"What am I? Who am I now?" Aurora whispered. " everything that made me who I am is gone. The event with Haldir's friends made me want to help everyone and prove I was good, not evil, the loss of Travis made me more devoted to my people and my magic and my quest for world peace. And my parents…I fought for my parents, so that no one else would have to live the life that I led, to feel the loss I felt. Now all those issues have been resolved….who am I now?" Legolas pulled her away from him so he could look her in the eye.

"You are whoever you want to be. All those events led you to this point, now you are in control of your own destiny. You don't need to prove anything, you have pulled through all your suffering, now you can choose who you want to be. Find everything for yourself that you wanted, instead of being a slave to your past."

"But I don't know what I want, I don't know who I have to be, who I want to be. I don't even know where to begin, " She whispered her head sinking down to her chest, her breathing had regulated again and she started to rub her sore hand.

"Like I said earlier, you don't have to do everything alone. People are here to help." Legolas reached out and rubbed her shoulder in a comforting manner.

"Who the heck is gonna take the time to baby me in something like this? I'm nothing but trouble if you haven't noticed, who is going to think I'm worth all the trouble that follows me around?" Aurora felt Legolas' finger under her chin as he tilted her head back up towards him.

"_I _think you're worth it."It was barely above a whisper, but Aurora heard him. And then his lips found hers, she gasped slightly in surprise at this action, but reacted quickly to deepen the kiss. Their lips moved together as if they never thought to touch a person again. They moved close against each other and Aurora tangled her fingers into his soft blonde as his hand moved down to her waist to pull her close…

"What in the name of the Valar are you two doing?!"


	8. It's like a bad dream

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the people from Lord of the Rings. These people belong to the beloved J.R.. My only people are Aurora, Chad,Tansy,Arianna, Judith,Ray,Hazel,Prince Bardis,and the witch's council. Please don't use them without my permission. but if you ask...maybe.

I also use a lot of lines from the movie, these also belong to J.R.R. Tolkien and New line Cinema.

**Author's note: OK ok ok, I know a took a REALLY long hiatus from writing and I apologize sincerely. But what had started out as a small break from writing I realized I didn't like the way I had chosen the story to end( and im sure many of you wouldn't have either)…so I had to fix it. That took more work than you might think because I had to make my new ending fit with the story line that had been going along anyway. So long story short I think I finally got it figured out and am hoping to write more regularly again. Thank you all for sticking with me this long, I promise it will all be worth it **

Chapter 8: It's like a bad dream

Growing up in New York City Aurora had never quite understood what the ever popular cliché "deer in the headlights" meant, but she was pretty convinced that Legolas' face was probably as close to that level of fear. Neither one of them turned to see who had interrupted them , that much was irrelevant, the fact that _someone _ had been there was enough to make their hearts race with panic.

"Well," Aurora whispered hoarsely, and had to clear her throat to get her voice and breath back to where they should be, "Legolas and I got up because I suddenly remembered there was a room here from my childhood, but when we got here I passed out and in a moment of panic Legolas tried mouth-to-mouth to revive me….and yeah…that's when you walked in…so…" Aurora flinched at how much she sounded like those preppy girls from high school that would sneak off to the gym with their boyfriends and get caught by the not-so-oblivious teachers…empathy shows up at the oddest of times she realized far too late. Legolas was giving her a look like she had grown an extra head and Aragorn could only roll his eyes, a habit picked up from her no-doubt.

"We're all respectable adults here, I'm not going to go tattle to Gandalf…it's not like I haven't snuck off with Arwen once or twice myself."

"But we honestly weren't," Aurora started but stopped as the look on Aragorn's face let her know that nothing she said was going to change his opinion, she had never been a very good liar. She sighed and stood up, untangling herself from Legolas' grasp, careful to avoid the pile of broken wood and glass from the shattered picture, which Aragorn was eyeing suspiciously.

"How did you find this room, Gandalf didn't seem to be aware of its existence." Aragorn asked as he walked around the room, shifting through papers and maps on the desk.

"I found it on accident, many years ago when I was here with my dad." Aurora turned away from Aragorn as he gave her a strange look at the mention of her father. "I don't think this is something that Saruman would be showing everyone." The trio looked through everything in the room, and though they found a treasure trove of information that would have helped them weeks ago, there was no hint of a coming attack. Defeated they started out the door and Aragorn reached for the pile of broken glass and the picture that Aurora had hit. Aurora, faster than either elf or man could remember her exhibiting before, she kicked the photo right from under Aragorn's fingers sending it skittering under the desk and out of his reach.

"That's irrelevant." She said sternly as she turned to walk away. Legolas and Aragorn shared a look that cut off any continuance of the picture. They descended from the tower and headed back for the camp. As they walked Aurora carefully positioned herself on the opposite side of Aragorn that Legolas was walking, a detail that didn't by unnoticed by either man, causing a somewhat uncomfortable silence during the walk back making the distance seem twice as long.

About halfway back to the camp something started to scratch at the back of Aurora's mind, an indescribable urge to look back at the black tower, and with each step the urge grew that much more. She recognized the scratch though, it was a feeling that she had experienced most her life as it usually preceded a foreseeing vision, albeit one she had to induce herself. The scratching finally became too overwhelming and she had to look. Pausing for half a second Aurora turned back to glance just over her shoulder at the tower. As she did she felt the vision fluidly overtake reality, without the nasty lighting-strike effect that it had previously had over her, a gift from her shiny new aura she was sure.

The vision overtook her every sense, feeling so much more real than anything she had seen before…more of a virtual reality ride than the movies she was used to. She could feel the heat and taste the ash…the tower was burning. And from the deep red shade of the sky she was willing to guess the tower wasn't the only thing that burned. The air was thick and uncomfortable and the world around her just seemed so devoid of life. There were no plants on the scorched earth no birds in the air escaping the fire…nothing. It was like the apocalypse. The black tower just stood against the red sky, fire licking up the side…

Just as fluidly and painlessly as she had slide into the vision, Aurora slipped back out. The slight pause though hadn't gone unnoticed by either of her companions and they stopped barely two steps ahead of her to wait.

"Did you forget something?" Legolas said turning back for fully to face her in case they needed to back track.

"I don't know…maybe I did…." She continued to stare at the black tower that was now against a backdrop of navy blue dotted with stars, "maybe I did."

………..

Even after the good fortune of getting back to the camp unnoticed and having a full nights rest, the vague vision from the night before still bothered her. The group had headed back to Edoras at first light, but just before midday had to stop for the horse's sake and take a quick rest. Staring out across the plains Aurora mulled over the vision, but wasn't coming to any logical conclusions. If they had taken down one of the two biggest threats in Middle Earth, then why did her vision show the world burning? Aurora shook her head… the vision hadn't appeared after Saruman had been slain (The thought brought a somewhat disturbing smile to her face), the vision had appeared after the interlude with Legolas in the tower….she blushed violently as she thought about getting caught in such a position. She looked back at the elf that the mere thought of sent her heart rate supersonic. He looked up at her and she averted her eyes…it was VERY junior high she knew, but she wasn't sure how else to handle it. Multitalented as she was she couldn't juggle a love life and the fate of the world at the same time. Love life? Ha! As if she would have time, as if that was even probable..an elf and a witch, both from royal houses. She wasn't sure which culture would have the most objections though both would have their fair share. Aurora wasn't going to bother trying to deny what she felt for him anymore. Feelings she was sure he returned, but it was irrelevant because something like that could never work out. Same as the age old saying, " A bird may love a fish…". She didn't even want to think about it because it sent an all too familiar pain of longing and loss through her chest. But her 'boy troubles' had to be the last thing on her mind, so many other things required attention, and now she had this vision of a burning Middle Earth to add to the mess.

With a sigh and a shake of her head, she rejoined the group as they saddled up to head back to Edoras. She prayed for an uneventful ride as she didn't think she couldn't handle anything more until she sorted out some of her stress. She cast one more longing glance at Legolas, as much as she would have liked to solve that issue first, she knew it was going to have to take the last spot on her ever growing list of priorities. He glanced up at her and their eyes met, and much to her surprise she found her own look of longing mirrored in his. Turning away abruptly, she slipped into the saddle of her horse and started after Theoden, resisting the urge to look back and see if Legolas was still looking at her.


	9. Something to look forward to

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the people from Lord of the Rings. These people belong to the beloved J.R.. My only people are Aurora, Chad,Tansy,Arianna, Judith,Ray,Hazel,Prince Bardis,and the witch's council. Please don't use them without my permission. but if you ask...maybe.

I also use a lot of lines from the movie, these also belong to J.R.R. Tolkien and New line Cinema.

Chapter 9:Something to look forward to

Aurora sat in her room waiting for Hazel to arrive. As soon as she had gotten back to Edoras she had called her former teacher and fellow Foreseer. A twinge of guilt still pestered her as she thought about how she had ducked around Eowyn with an assortment of excuses as to why she couldn't help set up for the festivities tonight, though she had sworn to help with the cleanup and she had a feeling that would be a much bigger job. She sat looking out the window, impressed by these humans that continued on with hope even after the loses they sustained at Helm's Deep. In fact they were more resolved than ever..people like this gave Aurora the inspiration she needed to go on doing her crazy work…

"Dear, love you though I may, I AM getting far too old to be jumping back and forth from dimension to dimension." Hazel had entered the room silently, nearly scaring Aurora witless. She jumped off the bed from the slight scare but relaxed immediately.

"Hazel you haven't aged in decades…you aren't fooling anyone." Aurora smiled as her mentor tried to fake having trouble sitting down on the edge of the bed…if nothing else Hazel was a hell of an actress.

"So what universe altering problems are we facing today?" hazel patted the spot next to her on the mattress, indicating for Aurora to sit.

" My visions have been changing…again. I've had two strange visions so far, both depict this world engulfed in flames, it truly looks like the end of the world…." Aurora had in fact experienced another quick glimpse of this fiery fate as they had approached Edoras. A quick, but in depth vision had shown the plains and buildings on fire. Hazel's face grew more concerned as she listened to Aurora describe how tangible the visions had been as well.

"It doesn't make any sense." The whisper had been more to herself than for Aurora to hear as Hazel contemplated the problem.

"I know it doesn't," Aurora responded," If we brought Saruman down then the visions of this world shouldn't have included it burning. Perhaps…perhaps something is wrong with Frodo…maybe something happened to him that I missed."

"No, something that important you would have seen, especially with how your Foresight seems to have developed with your aura. Where were you and what were you doing before you saw these visions?" Aurora had to turn away as Hazel's question brought back memories of her and Legolas the night before.

" I was in the tower looking through a bunch of Saruman's documents and books trying to find information that would help us…" It wasn't necessarily a lie so much as a partial truth.

"And..?"

"What do you mean 'And?' " Aurora was trying without much success to mask her voice that seemed desperate to give away that she was hiding something.

"Young lady I have know you far too long for you to think that you can hide something from me." Hazel's tone had that of a chastising mother to it, and it made Aurora want to blurt the story out.

"I was…with Legolas"

"Doing?" The fierce red blush that Aurora could feel burning her cheeks was all the answer that Hazel needed, and the elderly witch started to laugh. Unable to trust her own voice to ask what was so funny, Aurora just stared at her mentor quizzically until she answered the question.

"Oh you silly girl you're falling in love." Saying it as though it was the obvious answer to all of Aurora's problems.

"I am…not." The last word was terribly deflated because Aurora knew that she wouldn't be able to fool her teacher, not that she was even sure why she was trying to hide the fact now.

"That is why you are seeing these visions. At first I thought maybe your aura had made your Gift so powerful you could see the unprecedented future, which would explain why I hadn't seen any of these visions that you had. But it's more simple than that. When your aura changed and your Gift was empowered you simply lost control of your own imagination, so now you are seeing the future that you are afraid of. You care for the elf so thus the fear of his world's demise scares you into seeing visions of it happening. Reign in your fears and focus only on the possible outcomes as you have been taught to do. I realize this will be hard with your Gift developing again, but when you have regained control….oh the things you will be able to predict." Hazel got a far off look in her eyes as if she was looking into the future herself.

"Hazel I REALLY don't think it's that simple…"

"But of course it is you silly child. Do you really think that such a thing is limited to those young human girls sitting by the phone imagining the worst to explain why their man isn't calling them? You have foresight so instead that gets affected as well as your wits. Stop trying to distract yourself with this 'apocalyptic' mind set you have…even the leaders of the 'Free World" as they call it are married." Aurora slouched with Hazel's words. It all fit in place but…

"There has to be another reason." The words were barely above a whisper but they held all the desperation as if she had screamed the words through a megaphone.

"Why? Why can't you accept that after years of tormenting yourself about Travis maybe you have finally learned to open up again?"

"Because it's like Travis all over again! Can't you see that?" Her words were choked, hard to speak, like the truth they held was so big that it was getting caught in her throat. "Another man that I love that I can't be with, and I guess somehow in my twisted world it's easier to accept that maybe his world is coming to an end than it is to accept that I can't have him!"

"Aurora as soon as you are willing to let go of this ridiculous life of penance you've subjected yourself to, you'll be able to see that you can have both." Hazel didn't wait for Aurora's reply before she stepped through a portal and back into New York. Aurora sat there in stunned silence thinking over the words her teacher had spoken. A barrage of conversations she had held in the past few days came rushing back to her in a jumble of voices…

"…_All that isn't going to be part of the new Aurora, she won't need it…"_

"…_Now you can choose who you want to be. Find everything for yourself that you wanted…"_

"…_possibly limitless magic.."_

An idea struck her then, a crazy idea. But then again almost every idea she had was crazy, that's how she had ended up here today. It was horribly risky and chance's are it wouldn't even work… but damn it all if she wouldn't try. Making herself more comfortable on the bed Aurora cleared her mind of all outside thoughts and stresses. Once her mind was totally blank, she reached for her Gift. With a white aura there was no telling what she might be able to see…perhaps seeing her own future was a possibility, and it was worth a shot.

She allowed herself to slip into a vision. The world around her was burning again, this obviously belonged to the visions that hazel attributed to her imagination. Focusing she pulled at the vision to bring about a different scenario…but she didn't see herself, or anyone she knew. Again she focused and changes the vision, and again, and again… but nothing. Her head was starting to hurt and she was becoming frustrated at her Gift, when suddenly something made her stop. The vision was of New York, I the Witches school…a classroom. She recognized this room as a private room that students whose Gift were potentially dangerous were brought to study where they would induce the least amount of damage if they lost control. A young girl of perhaps thirteen years with long blonde wavy hair and pale skin sat in the room, her eyes closed focusing hard on something…

_"Focus princess, you're nearly there…"_

"Aurora?" The vision dissolved around immediately as her focus was shattered by the other voice in the room.

"NO…damn it! What?" Aurora's temper lashed out at Eowyn. She had recognized that voice…the one that hadn't been addressing her. The one talking to the little girl in the vision…_Princess_

"I'm sorry, it's just you've been in here a while and we were just making sure everything was ok." Eowyn scooted into the room though after Aurora's lash out she wasn't getting any closer to the bed.

"Have I been up here that long?" Aurora looked out the window to confirm a setting sun…time really flew when you were flying through time.

"The Festivities are about to start and I thought you should been there for the hail to the dead." As Eowyn spoke Aurora looked down at herself and flinched, she had only packed traveling clothes.

" I hope it's a casual even then." And with a sigh lifted her arm in a half shrug though judging by the dress that Eowyn was wearing, Aurora was severely under-dressed. Eowyn frowned in thought for a moment and walked out of the room. She hadn't been gone for even a moment before coming back with a dress in her hands.

" I believe we are about the same size, and this should suit you well. Change quickly and head to the main hall when you are done." With that Eowyn stepped out of the room to give Aurora some privacy. Seeing no point in fighting it Aurora changed out of her travel clothes into the dress.. and quickly discovered she was more curvy than Eowyn was. Height was the same, even arm length was the same…boob size, not so much. It fit snuggly in several areas that in New York would have been flattering. In Middle earth though she was sure she was bordering on a scandal. The dress was a deep brown that matched her eyes well with golden vines embroidered into it with little green leaves…the dress was exquisite, even if it was snug over her hips and chest. Brushing her hair out Aurora stared at herself in the piece of well polished silver that served at a mirror in the room.

" Oh well I've been causing a scandal all my life, might as well do it in this world too." And putting aside thoughts of the future and the mystery child,Aurora walked out of the bedroom .


	10. Light Weight

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the people from Lord of the Rings. These people belong to the beloved J.R.. My only people are Aurora, Chad,Tansy,Arianna, Judith,Ray,Hazel,Prince Bardis,and the witch's council. Please don't use them without my permission. but if you ask...maybe.

I also use a lot of lines from the movie, these also belong to J.R.R. Tolkien and New line Cinema

Author's Note: Hey guys I put together a "soundtrack"… basically it's just a list of songs that every time I hear remind me of this story. Check them out and I hope you all like it.

Lady of the Book Trilogy soundtrack:

Crawling- Linkin park

Overcome- Within Temptation

Run to me – Clay Aiken

Falling Apart- Trust Company

Tomorrow – Avril Lavigne

Leave out all the rest- Linkin Park

My Curse- Killswitch Engage

At the Beginning- Donna Lewis & Richard Marx

This is your life- Switchfoot

Tell Me- Ra

Slow me down- Emmy Rossum

Finding me – Vertical Horizon

Alive and Kicking- Nonpoint

The Reason- Hoobastank

Everything- Lifehouse

Chapter 10: Light weight

"_Don't look….don't look…focus straight ahead…" _ Chanting inside her head to herself, Aurora tried without success to focus on the small speech that Theoden was giving in honor of the men who had fallen at Helm's Deep. Usually she had no problem focusing at such occasions as this, but try as she might her mind kept wandering back to…him. There was this nagging feeling inside her that gave her the overwhelming desire to glance and see if he was looking at her…wondering if he noticed her. It was like being in Junior high again. She felt her will power lose the small battle inside her head and she glance sideways to her right turning her head a fraction of a degree in Legolas' direction….and then snapping back less than subtly as she made eye contact with him.

"_Happy now?! He noticed you, you win…now focus for Being's sake!"_ A small triumphant smile started to form on her lips and she bit her bottom lip to keep herself from smiling at an inappropriate moment in Theoden's speech. Aurora finally clued into Theoden's speech as he raised his glass in a toast.

"Hail the victorious dead"

"Hail!" Came the response automatically from everyone in the crows as they all lifted their glasses in a toast and then drank. Tonight had a double meaning for these people, one was the obvious celebration that they were all still alive, and then of course there was the respect for the dead as the people of Rohan focused on celebrating the lives they lived instead of mourning the death, following the custom of other Dimensions. The strangeness of this never ceased to amaze Aurora, that millions of cultures of people whom had much longer life spans than humans always celebrated the life whilst the humans of her Dimension whose lives were so much shorter focused on the loss. Shaking her head Aurora set her glass of wine on the table, she had never been much of a drinker, and turned to her students that were at her table.

"In this society it is okay for you to drink, and I personally don't have a problem if you all choose to. However, you all know your limits and I expect you to be responsible…understood?" Ray and Chad barely nodded before they both bolted off to find the nearest barrel of wine to indulge in. The three girls just rolled their eyes and followed after the boys to keep an eye on their alcohol consumption. Aurora just smiled and turned to work her way through the crowd of people mingling together, already the room was crowed and loud…and no one had really had a chance to consume the wine yet. Slipping between people Aurora joined Aragorn, Gandalf, Gimli, and Legolas at their table.

"Where did the Hobbits run off to?" Aragorn inclined his head in answer to Aurora's question and as she gaze swept in the direction he had tilted his head, she saw the two small men filling their glasses with beer from a large wooden barrel.

"Personally I think they have the right idea." Aragorn said with a chuckle and started to work his way over to where the "bar" had been set up.

"I'm surprised you're not already over there Gimli."

"Never drink on an empty stomach lass!"Gimli with a wink and he turned to Legolas, "Let's go find some food." Legolas glanced at her and shrugged and started to push past her to follow the dwarf.

"You look lovely tonight." He leaned in and whispered in her ear as he moved past her. Aurora smiled and blushed a bit, unable to recover herself and return the compliment before he had disappeared into the crowd. She looked up and Gandalf and wasn't able to tell from his stern expression whether he saw the small exchange, she could however tell that he wanted to talk.

"How have your visions been lately?" Gandalf was trying to be nonchalant but Aurora knew what he was really asking about. Frodo. Aurora heaved a deep sigh.

"My visions have been very unfocused and cryptic lately. I haven't seen anything that would be useful to us…just random fragments." She was disappointed in herself that she had no news to give Gandalf.

"What does this mean then?"

"I'm not sure. It could mean that Frodo's path hasn't changed so there is nothing new for me to see. On the other hand it could also be that Frodo is so deep into the enemy's lair that the darker magic is preventing me from seeing him… I never actually thought the Ring itself could block me, it is possible though I suppose." She looked away and into the mass of people. She didn't mention the other option…that Frodo was dead and _that _ was why she hadn't had a visions of him, but by the tension that built up in the silence Aurora knew that Gandalf was already thinking about that. " In my world there is an old saying-' no news is good news'…"

"Let us hope that is the case then." Gandalf's voice was guarded, but she could tell that her lack of a vision had disturbed him a bit. Aragorn returned at that moment carrying two glasses, one of which he handed over to Aurora.

"Oh no, thank you but I don't drink." Holding up her hand she tried to refuse the drink.

"You will need it," He handed the drink over to her, "To these people it is extremely rude to not return a toast." Aurora looked at him with a confused expression until a man passed by her and raised his glass in a toast.

"Hail the Lady soldier!" He drank to her and then waited for her response, she only hesitated a second before she raised her glass in return and drank. If this was going to continue through the night Aurora was going to have to take very small sips….

……………..

Several hours, several glasses, and what felt like a billion "Hails" later Aurora was definitely feeling the alcohol. She was a very lightweight drinker and she knew it, that was why she avoided the stuff when she could. In a situation like this though it was almost impossible to turn down a drink without seeming rude, and even though she tried to take only sips it seemed as though everyone made it a point to toast to her…twice. She sat down hard on a bench fearing that her legs weren't going to hold her much longer. She mentally tried to reach out for Judith but was met with a fuzzy nothingness, whether from her alcohol consumption or Judith's she didn't know. She wasn't drunk. She knew she wasn't drunk, but damn if the wine didn't have a nasty effect on her anyway. She needed to go to bed, it was just a matter of standing up, getting through the crowd, up the stairs, down the hall….

Aurora was exhausted just thinking about all the walking she would have to do. It had to be done though. Standing up a little too fast she grasped the edge of the table till the room stopped spinning. Taking a deep breath she started to move- stumble- through the crowd, it was less than graceful she knew, but thankfully everyone was drunk as hell and didn't notice. She made it all the way to the bottom of the stairs by herself, but just looking at the climb made her dizzy.

"Just get up the stairs…that's all, just up the stupid stairs."She tried to encourage herself into overcoming this last obstacle…if she could get through the crowd without having to drink again she should be able to do this. She placed a hand firmly on the railing before she lifted her foot to set on the first step…and then she felt her balance disappear…

"Careful , Aurora." She felt someone catch her as she slipped. She looked up to see Legolas with a very amused expression on his face. He wrapped an arm around her waist and took hold of the hand that wasn't grasping the railing and began to help her up the steps.

"Thanks…I can't hold my liquor." The laughter she forced left her light headed.

"I can see that. Let's get you to bed." His tone was soft, as if he knew that the loud noise from the hall was irritating her ears. He led her up the steps slowly, his grip gentle but firm. The rest of the way up the stairs and down the hall were a bit of a blur to Aurora, her body simply doing the motions necessary, the creak of the door to her room though caused her to focus. He led her to the bed and sat her down very gently.

"I'm going to get you a glass of water, don't move." He turned and walked out the door without making a sound. Aurora's head felt like it weighed a ton, but she was pretty sure she wasn't supposed to sleep in this condition, and she knew if she lay down she would fall asleep quickly. She sat there for a moment thinking about what to do before she realized she was still in the dress Eowyn had lent her for the night…she didn't want to sleep in it, plus throwing up was becoming a possibility and she certainly didn't want to ruin the dress completely. Her bag was right next to the bed. She very carefully leaned over and pulled out a pair of pants and a shirt. Standing up slowly she put the pants on first, figuring it was the harder of the two tasks and she had better do that first. Her fingers fumbled, and she struggled to keep control of her body.. she really didn't like feeling like this. As she pulled the dress over her head, she got tangled up in the dress and she heaved a sigh when she understood her predicament. Let out a string of nasty curse words, she struggled to get the dress over her head, feeling like a child just learning to dress herself for the first time. She gasped when the dress was suddenly pulled right over her head with ease and she spun around to see Legolas holding a glass of water in one hand…and her dress in the other. Her face turned an instant shade of deep red when it hit her that she was standing there in just her bra.

"I thought I said not to move." There was no chastisement, just a reaffirmation of what he had said to her. He set the water down and tossed the dress onto the chest at the foot of the bed. Then reached around her he grabbed the shirt she had out on the bed.

"Sorry." She mumbled…absolutely mortified with herself.

"Arms." Was his only reply and she dutifully held up her arms. He pulled her shirt on her and started to button it up over the pale skin of her stomach and her bosom. Even in her state she observed that his eyes didn't linger on certain parts of her exposed anatomy, though she was sure he wanted to. "There. Sit down and drink."

"Thank you." She took that glass when he handed it to her and drank the whole thing. She was already started to feel better, eternally thankful that alcohol went through a Witches system much faster than other races…for the obvious reason that a drunk Witch was a very dangerous Witch. " My students…." She started to say when she realized she didn't know their condition.

"Oh Aurora, always thinking of others….they are fine. I'm going to guess they didn't learn how to drink from you since they can ALL hold their wine better." She laughed at Legolas' joke as he pushed on her shoulder to get her to lie down. She lay on her back and she could tell that he was on his knees next to the bed so he was at her eye level.

" I think out of everyone I know…even Bardis…you have probably seen me in my most vulnerable states." She couldn't seem to shut up…

"I don't mind. When we first met, you always had this façade of impenetrable strength as though you were made of stone. But everyone has to be weak at some point, everyone has to let someone carry them and take care of them at some point…you're just as beautiful when you are weak."

"But I'm not weak." The argument sounded stupid even to her as she lay there in a drunken heap.

"No of course not." She could hear the slightly patronizing tone in his voice as if his smile didn't give it away. Something in that smile of his hit her just right, and what little logical part of her brain was functioning shut off, and the "Liquid courage" running through her system became just that…

Rolling to her side she reached over and grabbed the back of his head to pull him into a kiss. Their lips met for only a minute before he pulled back slowly.

"You're drunk."

"You're sexy." Came her reply before she could think straight. He laughed and removed himself from her grip, standing to leave.

"Sleep well Princess." He kissed her forehead and turned to leave, he glanced back once to check on her only to find that she had already fallen asleep. He smiled, and reluctantly left her room.


	11. When Darkness Turns to Light

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the people from Lord of the Rings. These people belong to the beloved J.R.. My only people are Aurora, Chad,Tansy,Arianna, Judith,Ray,Hazel,Prince Bardis,and the witch's council. Please don't use them without my permission. but if you ask...maybe.

I also use a lot of lines from the movie, these also belong to J.R.R. Tolkien and New line Cinema

Chapter 11:When darkness turns to light

Aurora's eyes snapped open. Wrong. Something was wrong. She felt sick and as soon as her eyes had opened she had to fight the urge to throw up.. and it didn't have anything to do with her alcohol consumption earlier that night. It was as if the very core of her being felt sick.

She knew this feeling. Only one thing could bring it on. Evil, pure unadulterated evil swallowed in a darker side of magic could do this to her. Her extra sensory perceptions were on overload. What the hell was causing this? Nothing short of Sauron himself being in this building could feel like this…

Her foresight struck her then like a bag of bricks. Letting out a cry she rolled over and fell to the floor, smacking into the stones hard. A vision had never hurt quite this much, it was the worst migraine possible times ten. The vision flashed before her in perfect Technicolor like a bad virtual reality game. The violence and clarity of the vision, worried her because it they only became like that right before the event happened, usually within moments of it. Which meant…

"Pippin NO!" She shot up off the ground, any effects from the alcohol gone, and sprinted down the stairs. She wasn't sure in which of the rooms the men were actually sleeping since there were bodies sprawled everywhere, apparently it was also customary in Rohan to just drop down into a drunken sleep wherever you are. As least she had had the good taste to get to a bedroom, albeit with a little help from Legolas. Hopping over a sleeper she came to a dead halt in the middle of the Great Hall. Stretching her magic out she had to feel where the darkness as coming from. This proved to be very difficult, it was so strong, it was choking her magic and engulfing her the same way being stuck in a room with no oxygen would suffocate a human. Focusing with little effort it took only a second to find the location of the magic, and she was off again at a dead run. She could feel the foresight at the back her mind poking at her, warning her again and again.

She slid around the corner into their room, and nearly doubled over with the urge to throw up as the darkness engulfed her. She looked up to see Pippin, convulsing on the floor the palantir glowing a fiery red in his hands. The small hobbit was letting out a choked gasped of pain as though the fire was flowing through him. Aurora knew what it really was…a large enough exposure to magic like that for someone who wasn't used to it was often times fatal, and she knew that touching that palantir gave Sauron full access to Pippin's mind and body.

She had to get that thing away from the hobbit.

Barely a second after she came into the room, Aragorn and Legolas came charging in through a door on the opposite end of the room. Unaffected by the magic in the room Aragorn went charging in to try and save Pippin, throwing himself into more danger than he knew.

"Aragorn wait, don't touch the…" She tried to warn him when she realized his intention was to try and pry the palantir away from Pip. Aurora didn't get to finish her sentence though because Aragorn got to convulsing mass of hobbit on the floor and snatched the glowing ball of magic right out of his hands…and immediately passed out. Sauron was in attack mode now, giving Aragorn enough of a jolt of magic to cause him to lose consciousness. As Aragorn fell over, Legolas grabbed his friend's shoulders to keep him from hitting the ground hard, and the Seeing Stone fell out of Aragorn's fingers and rolled across the floor in Aurora's direction. Now she could stop it. Taking a step fully inside the room she held out her hand reaching out magic to the palantir trying to force it back into dormancy. But it reacted to her presence and instead of retreating from her it flew off the floor and at her. Aurora had no time to react before it happened.

It barely touched her finger and the force of their magics collided with full force. A pulse exploded away from them as soon as the slight contact was made throwing everyone away from them by a foot and to the ground. But Aurora couldn't afford to pay attention to those around her when this thing that encompassed Sauron was battering at her magic. She felt his magic pushing against hers… and then she saw the images. Fire. Pain. Torture. Darkness. The images of the future he had in store for this world should he get his Ring back and all his power returned to him. A bright red light started to fill the room surrounding them all, and Aurora realized that everyone could see these images. She could tell by the look on their faces, pure fear, that they could see what she saw.

"No." It was a whisper that was meant only for herself to hear. She had been through too much through all her life to let this monster win, she had been to death and back again for this world, _he would not win._ He was strong, Sauron was damn strong, but so was Aurora. Aurora reached up with her other arm and placed both hands firmly on the palantir in front of her. She stretched out her magic, letting it reach its full potential, and her white aura started to glow, to push back the red that filled the room. As strong as Sauron might be, Aurora had the actual future on her side and the ability to predict it as well and nothing Sauron did could overcome that. The good visions, the visions of victory overtook the visions of destruction he was leading the others to see. Aurora gathered as much of her magic as she could spare, pulling it inside for one last push against Sauron. The white and red in the room disappeared seeming to be sucked inside the witch, a quiet followed for only a second that carried the weight of the whole world one it, it was heavy and felt as though it lasted an eternity. Aurora let out a cry filled with anger and strength that shattered the silence and then her and the palantir were thrown apart by some unseen force, the now dull and black palantir rolled across the floor and Gandalf threw a blanket over it, while Aurora was tossed back a few feet, landing hard on the cold stone floor.

Legolas was at her side in an instant helping her to sit back up, " Aurora what happened?" As she sat up she looked slightly dazed and exhausted, but a smile quickly overtook her face and she looked up at Gandalf, ignoring Legolas' question for the time being

"Frodo is alive." It was a simple sentence that carried a heavy weight to it.

"How do you know this?" Gandalf's voice was guarded, unsure if he should hope.

"In that last second I pushed past Sauron's magic, pushed past the Ring's magic… and I could see him, the visions that had been blocked from me I could see. Frodo is alive and headed into Mordor as we speak."

"We still have a chance then." Gandalf's eyes lit up for only a second, but that little bit of hope was all anyone needed to see. The white wizard then turned to Pip who was laying unconscious on the ground to tend to the hobbit, who was quite lucky he wasn't dead from being so exposed to the magic. Legolas stood up and reached for Aurora's hand to help her back to her feet. As the elf gripped her hand though she let out a cry of pain.

"Aurora what is it? What's wrong?" As soon as she cried out Legolas released her, concern written all over his face. Aurora looked down and turned her hands over. The palms and fingertips were burned badly, exposure to Sauron's magic having burned her the same way the Ring had earlier in the quest. She swore obscenely and slowly stood up.

"Are you all right?" Gandalf asked finished with his talk to Pippin and assured that no damage had been done to the hobbit and that Pippin hadn't let the enemy know of their plans.

"I'm fine, just a burn on my hands it'll be fine. Is pippin okay?"

"The fool is fine for the time being." Gandalf shot the hobbit a chastising look."Tend to your burns and then go back to sleep , we will need the rest for I have a feeling we will have much to do tomorrow and you and I will need to speak." Gandalf then turned and picked up the blanket and palantir to place them back in his protection when he suddenly stopped short.

"What is it?" Aurora asked.

"You broke it." Gandalf's tone was confused.

"What do you mean 'broke it'?" The wizard turned around and showed her the part of the palantir that was exposed when Gandalf had picked it up. There was a huge crack running up the side of it. "Oh." Was all she could say.

"What does that mean?" Merry asked when no one said anything for a long moment.

" It means we really are going to have a lot to do tomorrow." Aurora spun around and quickly exited the room. What had she done? Her breathe quicken as she half walked half jogged across the hall and up the stairs to her room. Carefully avoiding using her burnt hands she used her elbow to shut the door behind her and sat down hard on the bed…what had she _done?_ She wasn't sure how many minutes passed by as she just sat there in silent thought before a light knock sounded at her door.

"Come in." She said even though she really didn't want to talk to anyone right now. Legolas slowly opened the door and walked in carrying a bowl of water, a towel, and a small bottle in his hands.

"In your rush to leave the room you forgot to get the things to tend your burns… and I thought you may need some help."

"Oh….yes thank you." She moved over on the bed to allow Legolas to sit down next to her. He set the water on the table and then gently took her hands in his. He dipped the towel in the water and as gently as he could manage, though Aurora still let out a hiss of pain, cleaned the burned areas.

"What's in the bottle?" Aurora asked and motioned to the bottle sitting on the table next to the bed.

"Aragorn had a salve to heal burns, he thought it would help with the pain and to help it heal faster… though it won't be as good as anything your student Tansy would have…"

"It's very kind of both of you, thank you." Aurora then lapsed back into silence as Legolas cleaned her hands, thinking over what had happened.

"Care to talk about it?" The question was gentle and unintrusive, he truly just wanted to make her more comfortable.

"I just fear that I may have endangered everything. Breaking that palantir will let Sauron know just how powerful I have become, and his ignorance to my strength was one of our greatest advantages. He will become panicky and try to move his war along faster now, and if anything happens it's now my fault."

"None of this is your fault. Sauron may know how strong you are, but now so do the people. The power that you demonstrated against him tonight shows that even if Frodo should fail, Valar forbid, we still have a chance. With every second you give these people new hope. Stop blaming yourself when things go wrong." Legolas started to apply the salve to her hands and the pain immediately disappeared.

"Thank you, you know for everything. You're always looking out for me, thinking about what's best for me."

"I think about you quite often." The words were quiet and reserved. Legolas had finished rubbing her hands and was cleaning the thing up that he had used.

"It's nice… to have someone looking out for me like that. Taking care of me."

"It's nice to see that you are finally letting someone take care of you." He turned back to her and they smiled at each other. Desire filled her then and she wanted to be closer to him. They were already sitting in a very close proximity but she still wanted to be closer, and it seemed that he shared her desire. He leaned in toward slowly, then paused unsure if he should continue. Aurora leaned in and closed the gap between their lips. The kiss was aggressive and passionate quickly engulfing all their senses. She placed a hand on his shoulder to steady herself and he tangled his fingers in her hair to bring her closer. Aurora was lost in his kiss, unaware of anything else except the feel of his lips, she was in a totally euphoric state of mind.

Her foresight suddenly flashed again and a quick image of the child from her visions earlier that day appeared for only a second. Caught off guard Aurora let out a gasp, which Legolas assumed was caused by him and quickly pulled away from her.

"Oh.." Aurora said when she realized the position they were in. Being so caught up In their kiss she hadn't realized it when they had rolled over, causing her to be lying on her back with Legolas on top of her.

"Oh." He agreed and quickly got off of her. He stood up with a stunned look on his face. "I'm sorry I didn't mean for it to go so far, I just…" He trailed off and ran a hand through his hair, clearly torn by his desire and what he thought was proper.

"No Legolas it's fine I'm fine…"

"I should go." Legolas stuttered out and made a move to leave. Aurora's hand snapped from her side to grip his hand before he had a chance to leave.

"Stay." It was just a whisper, but it carried every ounce of feeling she had for the elf before her. He turned slowly to look at her.

"You mean….?"

"I mean I don't want to be alone tonight. Stay with me." She was borderline pleading with him now… the thought of him leaving like this and the next day being awkward was unbearable. Their relationship had made leaps and bounds and she wanted it to continue. She was gazing into his eyes, a silvery blue, his white blonde hair framing his face and he returned her gaze. He sat back down on the bed and just kept gazing into her eyes which had started to fill with tears. She had doubted Hazel when the old witch had told her she was in love with Legolas, but now she could see that the elf prince had taken the dangerous role of stealing her heart… no, not stealing…she gladly handed it over to him.

"I will stay with you." He finally whispered and reached to wipe away a tear that had fallen against Aurora's cheek. She smiled at him and he returned it. He lay down next to her and she rolled over so she could look at him, and he positioned himself the same. Legolas put arm across her waist and pulled her close to him, she rested her head against his chest and felt him kiss the top of her head. She drifted off to sleep with the elf she loved holding her in a loving embrace.


	12. What Now?

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the people from Lord of the Rings. These people belong to the beloved J.R.. My only people are Aurora, Chad,Tansy,Arianna, Judith,Ray,Hazel,Prince Bardis,and the witch's council. Please don't use them without my permission. but if you ask...maybe.

I also use a lot of lines from the movie, these also belong to J.R.R. Tolkien and New line Cinema

Author's Note: Sorry this is such a short chapter guys but it's just the in-between stuff that I didn't want to try and cram into the next chapter

Chapter 12: What now?

Aurora slowly came back into waking consciousness, never before had she ever been so uneager to wake up. Usually she was plagued by visions and nightmares making for a very uneasy sleep. But for the first time in 11 years since she had gained her Gift she didn't have a dream, just a peaceful nights rest. If she had known sharing a night with Legolas would ward off nightmares she would have started sleeping with Legolas months ago…that thought made an uncontrollable smile come to her lips.

" I know you are awake." Legolas' breath tickled her ear as he whispered into it. Aurora let out a very girly giggle and opened her eyes and looked up at the blonde elf whose arms she was laying in. "Time to get up Princess."

"Already? The end of the world isn't going anywhere…can't we just stay here all day?" Aurora had finally found two seconds worth of peace and quiet where she was completely comfortable, and she didn't want to give it up knowing she wouldn't get this chance again with the way her life went.

"I would think it should cause a scandal if anyone knew we had been together during the night, especially in the condition you were last night." Aurora made a face as fuzzy memories resurfaced from the night before… all she could clearly remember was " Hail!"

"You're right. You should probably go before one of the students come to check on me." She slowly untangled herself from his arms as she spoke and sat up in the bed. Legolas just nodded his head and stood up, but before he turned for the door he leaned in a and pressed his lips to hers in a passionate kiss then turned as left the room silent as a ghost. As soon as the door clicked all the _other _memories from last night came back in perfect clarity. The Palantir. Oh she was going to have a long day ahead of her… with a sigh she climbed out of bed and made her way over to the basin of water that had been left in her room to clean up a bit before starting her day. When she finally exited her room her mind was swimming with everything had happened last night and everything that would need to happen to counter act her stupidity…how could she have been so foolish as to touch the palantir? It was probably exactly what Sauron had wanted….

As she headed down the stairs to the Golden Hall she could hear voices and strained tones…apparently she was the last one to wake up. As she entered the hall she heard Gandalf's voice above everyone else's.

" He will raze Minas Tirith to the ground before he sees a kind return to the throne of Men!"

"Wow, what the hell did I miss?"She whispered to Legolas as she entered into the hall and quietly went to stand beside him and Gimli, obviously she had _really _overslept.

"Pippin has seen a glimpse of Sauron's plans through the palantir. It appears he is planning to move against Minas Tirith in Gondor." He whispered back in his soothing voice that made Aurora wish she could go back to last night and just keep reliving it.

"If the beacons of Gondor are lit, Rohan must be ready for war." Gandalf continued to talk having not seen Aurora enter the hall, Theoden and Aragron seemed unaware of her presence as well.

"Tell me. Why should we ride to the aid of those who did not come to ours? What do we owe Gondor?" His words brought of look of horror and disbelief onto everyone's face in the room. So it was going to be _that _kind of day…now more than ever Aurora missed her coffee machine…

"Because if everyone held to such a selfish ideal, you and everyone else in this room would be dead." Aurora's voice resonated off the stone walls, making it seem like it was being blasted from a surround-sound stereo system. "In times such as these you can't only lend a helping hand to people that you think you 'owe' it to, everyone is doomed then."

"In times such as these people shouldn't sleep til midday." Theoden snarled at her in a low tone.

"I guess coming back from the dead can tire a person out." Aurora snapped back

"So can hangovers."Merry muttered from the other side of the room, his comment however went unheard as Theoden and Aurora just stared at each other waiting for the other to make another remark.

"I will go." The silence and tension were broken as Aragorn spoke.

"No." Was Gandalf's simple and prompt reply.

"They must be warned."

"They will be."Gandalf stepped towards Aragorn as he spoke and then said something to him that was inaudible to everyone except perhaps Legolas. He turned back to everyone and raised his voice for everyone in the room to hear. "Understand this: Things are now in motion that cannot be undone. I will ride for Minas Tirith, and I won't be going alone." He turned and looked at Aurora implying what he wanted her to do.

"I agree that you shouldn't head to Gondor alone, but if I go with you it will cause far more damage than has already been done."Aurora's voice was cool and controlled, though a small fire of panic had started in the pit of her belly. " What happened with the palantir last night worked both ways, yes we saw part of Sauron's plan but he also got a glimpse of what we are now capable of. Between Aragorn making his presence known and my magical defeat of him last night Sauron is going to get very aggressive very quickly. If I were to head to Minas Tirith he would know it, he has become aware of my aura, and with me being that close it would cause him do something that he maybe would have held off on. Right now he knows I'm here, and while I'm in Edoras I am not such a threat to him, so in Edoras I will stay until it is necessary I leave." Gandalf nodded as she spoke

"Agreed then, in Edoras you will stay."

"However," Aurora quickly said and pointed at Pippin, "He needs to leave."

"What?!" Pippin squawked indignantly, but Aurora continued as if she hadn't heard him.

"Sauron won't come after me because he knows how strong my magic has become, Pippin though isn't a threat to him, and Sauron knows that Pip is somehow involved. Don't be naïve enough to think that Sauron won't send an army here to get one Hobbit that appears to know where his Ring is hidden. Take him to Minas Tirith, Sauron will know he is there and it won't change his current plans any. As it is I haven't had any visions so Sauron hasn't done anything too drastic, I would like to keep that way." Gandalf glanced at Pippin and hesitated only a second before he nodded.

"Gather your things Peregrin Took, we are leaving. Now." Pippin muttered out seom incoherent argument, but stood up and ran back to his room anyway. "What will you do then Aurora?"

"Gandalf I'm beginning to believe my time might be better spent in New York. Sauron is getting nervous I can feel it ,and we can't afford to sabotage ourselves any longer. I think for the time being I should leave Middle earth."

"No. You cannot undo what has already been done and your leaving will help no one but Sauron. Let him be nervous…perhaps he will make some mistakes we can use to our advantage." Aurora opened her mouth to argue her point further but felt a small hand touch her forearm. Looking down she saw Pippin looking back up at her fully dressed in his travel gear and small satchel with the saddest look in his eyes.

"Is that what you always see?" It was barely above a whisper.

"What do you mean Pippin?"

"When I touched the stone last night I saw things…horrible things that's hadn't happened yet…is that what you always see?" Aurora looked down at the sweet little hobbit and couldn't help but feel remorse that such a being had been dragged into this wretched war. She returned his look of absolute sadness and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"No Pip, sometimes the visions are good." Even to herself that answer sounded horrible, and the look on his face wasn't one of being comforted. So she knelt down and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. "You leave the visions to me though and concentrate of being a help to Gandalf ok?" Pippin could only nod before Gandalf called to him as he walked out the door. The hobbit turned and followed Merry and the white wizard out of the Golden Hall, and as he did Aurora offered up a payer to the Beings to keep him safe.

"Are we staying?"A tentative voice asked from the other side of the hall, and Aurora looked over to see Arianna, the pixie witch standing mostly hidden behind a column.

"Eavesdropping again?" Aurora could only shake her head… two really close calls with death and Aurora was finding it harder and harder to be mad at her students for the small things." Yes Arianna we are staying."

"So what do we do now?"

"Now? Now we wait."


	13. Of things to come

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the people from Lord of the Rings. These people belong to the beloved J.R.. My only people are Aurora, Chad,Tansy,Arianna, Judith,Ray,Hazel,Prince Bardis,and the witch's council. Please don't use them without my permission. but if you ask...maybe.

I also use a lot of lines from the movie, these also belong to J.R.R. Tolkien and New line Cinema

Chapter 13: Of things to come

Waiting was the worst part Aurora decided. She had always done a good job of keeping herself busy, but now the only thing she could do was _wait _and it was killing her. Boredom was not something she dealt well with. For three days she had been trying to find anything to do to keep her occupied, but Edoras wasn't equipped to keep a young lady from New York City entertained. Mostly she spent her time taking walks to clear her mind, her visions as of late were becoming very jumbled…everything contradicted the one before. No clear decisions had been made yet so the images in her dreams were much like someone tapping the "Channel" button on the remote control rapidly without looking to see what was on each channel, honestly it was getting frustrating. She wished someone, ANYone would make a decision, even if it was a bad one, at least the visions would be constant and she could formulate a battle plan around it, but no such luck.

She continued to wander about the city and had found herself at the stables. Having nothing else planned for the day Aurora decided to look in on the horses. She walked into the stables and found she wasn't the only one to have had that thought because tending to a horse in the second stall was Legolas. Being as noisy as she was she knew he had heard her, which was confirmed when his head turned and he met her eyes.

"Oh I'm sorry I didn't realize anyone else would be here." She said sheepishly and looked around the stable for anyone else.

"Relax Aurora, no one else is here." Legolas said calmly, and Aurora visibly relaxed. The two of them hadn't spent much time together though they had nothing but free time since Gandalf left. They had started to get funny looks from the people in the Hall and Aurora was sure that gossip had started about what they were _sure_ was going on between the two of them.

"What are you doing out here?" Aurora walked over to where he was standing, not afraid of space boundaries since no one else was around to see them.

"Trying to clear my mind with busy work." The elf replied simply and Aurora nodded in understanding.

"Same." Without a word he held out the brush he had been using on the chestnut horse, which Aurora took and stepped into the stall further. She glanced at the brush and then the horse slightly perplexed… she loved horses and had always wanted one, but growing up in New York she wasn't very well versed in how to care for them. Taking a guess she started to brush the horse but had barely even finished one stroke when Legolas gently laid a hand above hers and corrected her technique. She felt him behind her, and knew he was just taking the opportunity to get their bodies closer together…and she wasn't going to object. She felt his breath on her neck and her hand that was brushing the horse faltered a bit as her body reacted to his. She took a deep breath a tried to contain herself. Hormones were not something that was usually a problem for her, mostly because her life was too busy to do anything about them so she just ignored them…but with this elf she could barely hold herself together. She focused more completely on the horse and for a second she thought that would actually work…

…That was until his breath on her neck was replaced by his lips, and Aurora knew she was going to lose this battle. With a gasp the brush dropped from her hand as he placed a series of kisses up her neck right up to her earlobe, and she couldn't believe how bold he was becoming. Despite her efforts to control herself, her breathing became erratic and a moan escaped her lips, which only seemed to excite him more. With the last shred of will power she had, Aurora pushed away from him just enough to get his lips off of her neck and spun to face him….and then something deep within her snapped and twenty years worth of libido rushed her senses all at once. She _had _intended to Legolas that this wasn't appropriate and here and now wasn't the time for it, but that didn't happened and instead she pounced on him. Pushing him up against the stall wall her lips found his with a fervor that made him hesitate only a second before returning her passion. Their bodies where rubbing against each other in all the right places, heightening their sexual urges all that much more and causing them to be more energetic in their actions.

For Aurora this was surreal. Any time in the last three days they had touched each other a quick flash of the mystery child Aurora had been seeing would pop into her head, but now there was nothing but a sexual appetite, a _need_, that was consuming her…and he appeared to share her feelings about it. Granted she had never thought about having sex, much less losing her virginity, in a horse stall…but this horse was about to get a VERY X-rated show. Legolas grabbed her and flipped their positions around so Aurora's back was to the wall, his excitement was as confusing to her as her's must have been to him, usually he was so conservative and careful about what boundaries he crossed. She felt his hand slide down to her thigh and lift it so their centers were closer together, Aurora let out a gasp of ecstasy when she felt him even through the fabric.

But just as they had begun to get truly hot-n-heavy Aurora felt something else. With only a second's warning she pushed Legolas off her with all her might just as it jolted her system. Her Foresight hit her shocking her whole body and causing her to smack her head against the stall wall hard. Falling to her knees in the hay she grabbed her head from the pain of both hitting her head and then the vivid visions that passed through her mind

"JESUS H. CHRIST!" She shouted, not a 100% sure what it meant but the humans in her world used it as an exclamation often enough she figured this was the time to throw it out there. The visions stopped and she pulled her hands away from her head, hoping that the spinning sensations would stop soon enough. She felt two hands on her arms as Legolas helped her to her feet.

"Aurora what happened? Are you well?" Legolas' look of concern would have seemed cute to Aurora at any other time, but the vision she had seen didn't allow time for her to appreciate his more enduring qualities.

"He's moving."

"Who? Moving where?" Concern was replaced with confusion on the elf's face but the witch offered no explanation, she just grabbed his hand and towed him out of the stall behind her and towards the Hall where she was sure to find Aragorn and/or Théoden. The look on her face must have told that something was off because before she had said a word or really even gotten a foot inside the hall Aragorn was asking what was wrong.

"Sauron is moving his troops," She gasped out, "He's started to move the attack on Minas Tirith, and we can expect to see the beacons lit early tomorrow morning. We should start packing now so when it happens we can head straight to Gondor." The words came out in a jumble faster than Aragorn could follow completely, but he had understood the last part and could only shake his head.

"Théoden has not decided if the Rohirrim will aid Gondor." His voice was subdued and he seemed to be trying to calm her down by using a soothing voice as if she were a stray cat.

"What do you mean he hasn't….he can't honestly…he wouldn't…" She was pissed. If her time alone with Legolas was going to be interrupted then Théoden was _damn well _ going to help Gondor.

"Are you sure you're alright, you hit your head rather hard." Legolas was staring at her as if he was expecting blood to come spurting out her ears. Aurora just shook her head.

"I'm fine, the vision was just really strong. Aragorn you need to talk to him." Her mind automatically switching back to the more important task at hand.

"Aurora…"

"Legolas I'm not concerned about myself right now."

"You're never concerned about yourself." Aurora ignored what the elf was mumbling under her breath and turned back to Aragorn. "Please see if you can sway his decision, he won't listen to me, he still doesn't trust me fully. We are going to need to move fast once those beacons are lit."

"Fine, I'll talk to him but don't expect miracles." And with that the Ranger spun around and headed off in the direction of Théoden's private room. Aurora turned back to speak with Legolas, but found the air behind her to be empty, Legolas had slipped out when she wasn't looking. Aurora did a full circle looking around the room for him, but all that did as confirm that he was in fact gone and she couldn't help but feel a little sad inside. She did however catch a glimpse of Judith motioning to her from the corner of the room.

"Judith what is it?" Aurora quickly made her way over to her student who looked extremely uncomfortable.

"I need to speak with you..privately."

"Of course." Aurora led her student up the steps to her room, she didn't care if it was the end of the world, and she always had time for one of her students. Leading her in the room Aurora sat down on her bed and motioned for Judith to do the same. The Mind reader seemed a bit more comfortable now that they were away from prying ears, but not by much.

"Look um…I don't know what's going on between you and Legolas, but you were projecting some borderline pornographic thoughts a little bit ago." And with that all the blood drained from Aurora's face, and all coherent thought stopped. She had nothing to say, how did she respond to that? Judith seemed to sense her distress because she immediately recovered and continued. "Don't get me wrong I think it's great you finally got a booty call, especially one as fine as that elf is, but you need to keep that on the down-low."

"Booty call?" Was all Aurora managed to fumble out as her brain scrambled for any kind of excuse for what had happened.

"Yeah you know…booty call…oh wait is that not what it is? Cuz I thought…"

"NO! No you're right…booty call." Somehow playing the whole situation off like this seemed easier than trying to explain that she was in fact falling in love with the elf prince.

"Ok cool. Well enjoy that." Judith gave her a devilish smile before leaving Aurora alone in the room with her thoughts. If Judith had confused the situation as they were just satisfying sexual needs, was it possible Legolas was thinking the same? Aurora shook her head, Legolas was too kind and gentle hearted to do that to her.. there was no way she had misread the signs. But the seed of doubt had been planted and she knew it would eat away at her brain until she spoke to him. With a heavy sigh and an even heavier heart Aurora went in search of Legolas to try and fix what her hormones might have ruined for her.


	14. Being Selfish

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the people from Lord of the Rings. These people belong to the beloved J.R.. My only people are Aurora, Chad,Tansy,Arianna, Judith,Ray,Hazel,Prince Bardis,and the witch's council. Please don't use them without my permission. But if you ask...maybe.

I also use a lot of lines from the movie, these also belong to J.R.R. Tolkien and New line Cinema

Chapter 14: Being Selfish

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

_For the first time you can open your eyes  
And see the world without your sorrow  
Where no one knows the pain you left behind  
And all the peace you could never find  
Is waiting there to hold and keep you  
Welcome to the first day of your life_

_Just open up your eyes_

_-Open Up your eyes- Daughtry-_

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

It didn't take her long to find him, Aurora seemed to have grown attuned to him since their journey started…. Those days back in Rivendell seemed like a lifetime ago. In a few short months Aurora had traveled across Middle Earth on foot, fought a war, died and come back to life… and fallen in love. The whole journey had been this horrible mix of her own vices and whatever fate wanted to throw at her. She wasn't sure which of the two this situation was going to become, but what happened earlier in the stable needed to be addressed and she knew it.

Legolas was in the field that lay just outside the town's walls staring to the east, no doubt thinking about what lay just beyond the mountains. Aurora knew he had heard her coming, and part of her knew that Legolas had chosen this spot on purpose knowing she would be coming to speak with him and would want privacy. She came and stood next to him staring in the same direction as the elf wishing that just for this moment she had Judith's ability to read minds simply so she could know what Legolas was thinking.

"Who would have thought things were going to get this crazy when we all decided to do this at the council in Rivendell?" She finally broke the silence, unable to put it off for a moment longer.

"There are many things that none of us could have foreseen that have happened, even you."

"Speaking of which. Legolas what happened earlier today was….I mean it wasn't…" Aurora took a deep breath and tried to calm her racing thoughts," Before this journey had started I had devoted my life to the safety of the universe, I learned to reconcile the responsibility that came with all my power, and I've been doing it so long I don't know what else to do….I've learned to put my own needs second and the better of the people first. And just because I have grown and changed on this journey, _that _hasn't."

Legolas stayed silent for a moment and continued to stare eastward, "Why tell me this?"

Aurora sighed, "Because I need you to understand what I say next… and please let me get this all out before you respond. I died at Helm's Deep, and the very last I thought I had was of you… I love you, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I love you. But I just don't see how this could ever work out- and believe me I have tried to think of a way. And it seems some cruel joke of the Beings to allow us to meet and feel this way, and if it were up to me I would trade everything and fight every obstacle to have you… but my life isn't about me, it never has been." Aurora studied Legolas' face trying to judge a reaction from him, but as always the elf was stone faced. He didn't make any move or acknowledge anything she said. Aurora waited for him to respond for several minutes, but when he remained completely stoic she turned to walk away, fearing that she had somehow damaged their relationship further by trying to make him understand. She sighed heavily… men were too much work.

"You're scared." It was whisper, however it was full of conviction and Aurora immediately turned back to Legolas as he spoke. "You've never known anything else but this life of servitude so instead of taking a chance you just hide behind it. For once you are like the rest of us and can't foresee what will happen depending on what you choose, and that scares you so much you are willing to toss it away and continue in this life of pain and wars that you know."

"Okay you're right damnit. I am scared. I'm _terrified_. I've loved people before and lost them and that isn't a pain I can describe. So yes, maybe I would rather stick to what I know than throw myself in the way to get hurt again. You cannot be completely free of fear yourself."

"You're right, I'm scared out of my senses, but I relish in it. I am going to tell you something I haven't told anyone else. I joined the fellowship on this journey because I was _bored. _ My life was so redundant I thought I was going to lose my mind. And I met you, this crazy princess witch from another world that is like a beacon of light in a dark tunnel. You are so full of these turmoiled emotions, you are so full of life… it has consumed me entirely." Legolas turned to her suddenly and grabbed her hands up in his and stared deeply into her eyes. Seeing the usually calm and refined elf being so passionate caught Aurora off guard and she scrambled to find a response.

"But..but… you're immortal! And you're next to be king of Mirkwood ! And I'm a witch! And one of us could just as easily be dead tomorrow…"

"Aurora I don't care, all of what you said are things can we can deal with later. I love you and you love me and that is all that matters."

Aurora sighed and lowered her gaze from his, "Legolas now you're just being silly."

"No I am not, what I am is in love, and I would trade this world to have it." As the words left his mouth Aurora's head snapped back up to meet his eyes.

"Could you really? Because it is fully possible and very likely it will come down to my life in exchange for this world. Could you choose the annihilation of YOUR world just to savor this feeling? Could you truly condemn these people to death for me?" Legolas hesitated to answer her question, and for Aurora that was all the answer she needed. " I didn't think you could." And she released her fingers to drop his hands, But Legolas held fast.

"What does life have to offer me if I cannot have you? I do not believe the Valar would have allowed to meet and have these feelings for each other is not for a reason. You of anyone being a Foreseer should know that nothing happens without reason does it?" Legolas waited for her respond and after several seconds of strained silence Aurora had no choice but to answer his question with a whispered 'No'.

Aurora was out of reasons, out of _excuses_, why they couldn't be together… Legolas had been right about everything, except one small detail. She COULD know for sure what the future held for them, her new aura had offered her power unlimited, and she was about to do something irresponsible and selfish with it—and for once in her life she didn't care. Reaching up Aurora brushed her fingers across the elf's cheek and allowed the power to flow through her, their aura's to meld together as she searched for the answer to her heart's question. The feeling of being struck by lightning was far less incapacitating this time and thousands of images surged through her mind's eye. One image appeared over and over again, and it appeared to be the common factor in their future… the child Aurora had been seeing for the past few days. Realization hit her hard as she finally understood. Her daughter. _Their _daughter! Aurora gasped. It wasn't some random image, it was her future! After all the years of pain and suffering, all the trials and tribulations, all the heartache and self loathing, the Beings had finally granted her a glimmer of happiness.

Aurora pulled her hand away from Legolas' face as the images faded, and then the witch began to tremble. She leaned her head against Legolas' shoulder and took several deep breathes. Fear. Anxiety. Excitement. Happiness. A cascade of emotions hit her all at once and she wasn't sure what to do. There truly wasn't any reason for her and Legolas to not be together, and it terrified her.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Legolas wrapped his arms around her small trembling figure, and began to stroke her hair.

"Nothing. Nothing is wrong."She raised her head off his shoulder to look into his eyes. "I love you, I want to be with you, and I don't care what it takes." The words were barely out of her mouth before Legolas' lips were on hers in a deep kiss. Ecstasy filled her, she could have this, _she could have THIS_, until her dying day… all they had to d was survive this wretched war…

Something tickled in the back of Aurora's mind and she abruptly pulled away from Legolas' kiss, "Damnit," she whispered.

"What now?" Aurora definitely heard a slight tone of irritation in Legolas' voice at the interruption.

"That." Aurora pointed to the southern mountains . Legolas strained his eyes looking to see whatever had caused the disturbance.. Far off in the distance, many miles away Legolas saw the beacons being hit.

"I thought you said tomorrow." Aurora shrugged and hastily started to make her way back to the Hall.

"I guess Gandalf changed his mind." The pair quickly headed back to Edoras hoping to make it to Théoden before one of the townsfolk saw the beacons, and Legolas swore he could hear Aurora mumbling something under breath along the lines of "fucking white wizard."


	15. The plot thickens

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the people from Lord of the Rings. These people belong to the beloved J.R.. My only people are Aurora, Chad,Tansy,Arianna, Judith,Ray,Hazel,Prince Bardis,and the witch's council. Please don't use them without my permission. But if you ask...maybe.

I also use a lot of lines from the movie, these also belong to J.R.R. Tolkien and New line Cinema

Chapter 15: The plot thickens

Aurora hadn't been on the damn horse 15 minutes and she already wished she was doing anything else. Why had she wanted a pony growing up? Horses were so horribly uncomfortable and impractical. She could hear laughter to her right and glanced up to see Gimli not even attempting to hide his amusement at her suffering. Legolas who was riding in front of the dwarf was doing a much better job of hiding his enjoyment, Aurora could still tell though. The Elf made eye contact with her and sent her a sympathetic look.

"Not. One. Word." She said holding up her hand to halt any suggestions the elf may have had for fixing her pain. Aurora supposed she should have been happy they were riding at all. Foreseer though she was, she had been a tad surprised when Theoden had agreed to ride to the aid of Gondor with so little hesitation. She had the feeling that her student Judith was somewhat to thank for that. "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth ", that's what the humans always said, so regardless of how Theoden came the decision, she just needed to be happy it was the right one and leave it alone.

_"Um…Aurora? Hazel wants to talk to you" _Aurora didn't even flinch at the sound of her student's voice in her head. After years of teaching and working with Judith, hearing the young witches voices in her head was almost as natural as hearing her own. The fact that Hazel wanted to use a mental connection as a way to talk told Aurora that it was a very serious subject that Hazel wasn't comfortable discussing in an area that people might over hear, making her more than a little nervous.

_"What have you done?" _It wasn't stern , condescending, or even exasperated… just a simple inquiry.

_"What do you mean Hazel?"_

_ "My visions have changed quite suddenly, in fact they keep changing. However I do keep coming across this vision of a child... who bears a striking resemblance to you."_

_ "Hazel you _encouraged _me to fight for what would make me happy, and being with Legolas will make me happy. I know there is a lot I am going to have to fight through to have it, but I'm more than prepared to do so."_

_ "Honey I'm not arguing with the choice you made, I know that you two would be very happy together… under normal circumstances. But first thing is first, you both have to survive what's coming and I am aware that you have seen the same coming darkness that I have. You of everyone should know that just because you see it in your visions doesn't make it real, it just makes it a possibility. I would be neglecting my duty if I allowed you to become distracted now because of your puppy love…"_

_ "Hazel after all these years do you truly believe me so ignorant that I would allow myself to become distracted…."_

_ "Love does strange things to people" _Hazel cut her student off softly. "_I love you like a daughter, and for that reason I want you to have all the love and happiness this life has to offer you. But you need to be aware of the struggles too…the fighting doesn't end just because you leave this world. There is someone….someone I think you need to talk to."_ Hazel's tone turned somber and dark suddenly, Aurora didn't even know who it was Hazel was talking about but just the way they were mentioned made her feel anxious.

_"Who?" _

_ " I cannot tell you now. This person has been believed to be dead for many years now. I am the only person that is aware that they are alive and how to contact them. Usually it would be impossible for me to coax them out of solitude…but I think for you an exception will be made. Do not worry, I will send them to you before the night it out…be ready." _ Aurora felt the connection in her mind disappear and knew that Hazel was gone. Aurora didn't know who this person was that Hazel was sending her, and the mystery shrouding them made her very uneasy about the whole situation, but she trusted her teacher and mentor… so she would just have to wait until nightfall to meet this person.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully and the entire army made its way to Dunharrow. Aurora glanced up at the narrow winding trail that led up the ridge to the flattened out area that they were to rest. She glanced down at her horse unsure if she really wanted to risk her lack of horse handling skills on such a path… how ironic it would be to have survived her whole life fighting wars only to die my falling off a mountain because she couldn't ride a horse. She felt her foresight, searching for any chance that she _didn't _make it up the mountain. There was no sense of warning, Aurora took that to mean she survived the climb, now all she had to do was suck it up and make her horse climb the path.

Half an hour, a prayer to the Beings, the Valar, an Our Father and 2 Hail Mary's later, Aurora made it to the top of the ridge and got off her horse as soon as was physically possible. She sat down on the ground and just enjoyed the feeling of unmoving earth and solidarity beneath her. She heard a laugh behind her and didn't even have to turn around to know it was her elf.

" I was afraid you weren't going to make it up here."

"I'm fine Legolas thank you for your concern."

"I was talking to the horse." He laughed again and dodged the rock that Aurora threw at him easily. Knowing that she was probably wound up from the ride Legolas offered to take her horse and make sure he was taken care of, for which Aurora couldn't have been more thankful. She looked out over the ridge, over the land that was changing colors as the sun began to set. Her conversation with Hazel came back to her and the anxiety at who would be visiting her came back full force. She knew better than to sit around and think about it though, so Aurora got up and went to find some form of useful employment in setting up the camp.

Time passed quickly, and before Aurora had become fully aware of it, the sun had set the moon had risen and most people were turning in for the night. Sitting in her tent Aurora tried to find anything to distract her mind from the visitor; however she tried though when a breeze rustled the flap to her tent her head would snap up in anticipation. She ran her hand through her honey colored hair and kept reminding herself not to think about it. Then something akin to a panic attack grabbed her out of nowhere, the tent felt too small- like a cage- and if she didn't get out NOW she was going to lose her mind. Jumping up she slid out the tent into the cool night air. The cool night air swirled around her, blowing her hair in front of her eyes. The moon cast its light over the landscape, giving the world around her a very haunting and ethereal feel. Aurora felt compelled to walk. She knew it was late and sleep was her best option, but something told her, something from deep within, to walk…so walk she did. Her path took her away from the encampment and near the edge of the ridge, and down the narrow winding path. Perhaps it was just the need to sleep , but Aurora didn't feel entirely in control of herself, like her body was on autopilot and simply doing what it knew it needed to.

She didn't have to go very far before it became abundantly clear exactly what she was doing out here. It had surprised her a little bit, mostly because the way the narrow path wound up the ridge that you couldn't see someone standing on the level below you until you were literally right next to them. At first Aurora thought her mind was screwing with her, but as she drew near the fact that the body was real became evident. This must have been the visitor sent by Hazel. The moonlight glanced off of her hair, which Aurora guessed was perhaps a shade or two lighter than her own, her hair however didn't move in the wind, almost as if the wind went around her so as _not _ to ruin her lovely long tresses, which fell to about her upper thigh. Her skin was quite pale, and made more so by the long dark dress she wore, and borrowed light of the moon. Something about her face seemed oddly familiar… maybe not that she had seen this night woman before, but perhaps a close relative of hers. She was a witch, and a powerful one, which Aurora discovered as she drew near and felt the woman's aura radiating at several feet away.

"Hello child." It was such a small statement, but _that voice! _It sounded so familiar to her… it sounded like her mother's… and a little bit like her own…and she suspected like every other Borealis woman. It all came to Aurora in a sudden burst of reality.

_Dead, she's dead, she's been dead for thousands of years! _ Her mind was screaming at her, trying to find a way to make the obviously real person standing in front of her to disappear as a specter should. 

"Holy shit." Very eloquent, she scolded herself. But it was the only response she had to the situation, and then like most times Aurora found herself to be speechless she started to talk simply to fill the silence left by her stupidity. "This can't be real, you're dead…I mean you don't look dead, but there can only be two foreseers, so if I'm alive then you're dead…"

"No child I can assure you I am NOT dead." The statement was made with much amusement. "But I will assume by your reaction to my presence that you already in fact know who I am."

"You're Aurora Borealis, legendary first queen of our people, the founder of the Borealis bloodline, the first white-aura witch ever, my namesake." Aurora couldn't believe it. Her namesake, the woman whom she had strove to be like was standing right here in front of her, against all odds, against all logic!

"Hazel was gracious enough to alert me to the problems that my descendant was experiencing so I thought I would offer my… matriarchal … advice." The woman turned to full look at Aurora, and the resemblance shocked her, anyone that saw the two of them would be able to tell easily that they were directly related to each other. Especially the eyes, Aurora would have sworn she was looking in a mirror when she looked at her namesake's eyes.

"You are going to have to explain this to me, because I can NOT understand how you are here." The weight of the situation finally hit the younger witch and she sat down very unceremoniously on the ground.

"Very well then," the original witch said calmly," It started so long ago. Actually the first and only time I cast that spell to stop time and adjust the future, the one you successfully used not long ago. I was the first and only witch to have transcended time like that, to mold it to the better of the world, and much like you I had a very close encounter with the afterlife. I returned to life, and I hadn't a clue how much of an effect that spell had on me until many years later, until after I had risen to the throne and started a family of my own. I married the love of my life, and we had a beautiful daughter together, her name was Xandra. It was not long after her birth that I began to notice the lack of change my body experienced…I hadn't aged a day since the day I cast that spell, and honestly I haven't aged since. I have looked this way since I was 25 years old."

"But then if you are still alive why haven't you remained on the throne? You are a very beloved figure of our history, why would you fake your death?" Aurora's brain didn't process information fast enough to keep up with what was being thrown at her right now. It was too surreal.

"I remain beloved because I am believed dead. Aurora, our people are an advanced and tolerant culture, but an immortal Foreseer to hold the throne for all time over the most powerful peoples…it is a thought that scares everyone. My remaining the ruler of the Witches would never have been allowed. We are not so unaware of what power can become in the wrong hands and…"

"But you would never abuse…" Aurora was cut off from her sentence by a sharp look from the ethereal figure, her rebuke for being interrupted.

"People trusted Julius Caesar in power, and Hitler. History is doomed to repeat itself, which is precisely why I have come back to warn you. The belief that there can only be two Foreseers at any time was created because the women born to the Borealis line have always died quite young, generations upon generations passing before their own daughter could Come of Age, it didn't take long for this new ideology to take shape and become a part of our culture. Truth is that because I had a child after I cast that spell… I believe that immortality may actually be genetic. We have never been able to actually test the idea simply because of the young mortality rate of my descendants." Aurora's heart leapt in her chest…there was a chance she was _immortal_. Time would no longer be able to separate her and Legolas, they truly had a chance at love, they could be together forever, and have children, and rule, and…

"Do not get ahead of me child, I can see it in your eyes, you are already planning the wedding to that elf lover of yours. This is much information to take in all at one time, and I am thankful you seem to be taking in stride. However you have to realize how this alters your life, the whole reason I am here to talk to you."

Aurora felt her heart plummet. The tone in her namesake's voice clicked everything running around in her brain right into place. "Legolas."

"Yes my child, Legolas. He changes everything. If you had never met him then perhaps circumstances would be different. Love is a powerful force, _the_ most powerful force, I am so happy to see that after so many years you have finally found it, but it won't come without sacrifices…and for that I am sorry."

"Sacrifices? What sacrifices?"

"You now have a reason to live, a reason to think about your actions, to second guess yourself, because now it isn't just you whom you have to be concerned about. Forever truly is within your grasp, just like it was for me. After this battle for Middle Earth is done, should you come out the victors, there will come a time when you will have to make a choice: Your people, or your love. Because you will not be able to be everything to both. Our people will not accept an immortal Foreseer, with a white aura none the less, who has chosen and elf as a mate. And even if they would accept you, other scared races and Dimensions would never stop challenging you."

"How could I ever choose though?" All of this thinking was making Aurora's head hurt. Her namesake was alive, there was a chance she was immortal, and now she had to choose between Legolas and the job she was born to do. Her elder knelt in front of her and in a very motherly manner brushed the hair out of Aurora's eyes. "How did you choose?"

"Because my child I understood that by leaving the throne to my daughter, I was doing my job. I was protecting my people. And I can do a far better job watching over them and protecting them as a 'ghost' and remaining hidden among them than I could trying to battle with all the politics of being on the throne. Like so many in our bloodline you believe that you are the only person capable of doing our job. But you have trained Chad very well, and he will make a more than capable steward of the throne until your daughter can ascend. And you will be able to watch over your daughter in the same way I have watched over you all these years…"

"Hazel. You are Hazel." The fact was confirmed with just a nod.

"I have watched over our people and have been teaching the next generation of Witches under that alias for centuries. And I will remain so." With that she looked up into the night sky as if she could hear something that wasn't within Aurora's hearing range. Standing up she offered her hand to Aurora to help the younger witch to her feet. "I must go now. I have given you much to think about, and I beg you not to take this subject lightly. I have guided you for this long, watched you grow up and I can say that the woman you have become in the face of adversity is a credit to our entire family line. And know this, I will continue to guide you through tough times. I am never more than a thought away. Choose wisely, See clearly, and go in peace." She kissed Aurora on the forehead and disappeared into another Dimension.

Now it wasn't that Aurora hadn't taken her namesake— Hazel's—advice, in fact the weight of this choice had been weighing heavy on her thoughts for many weeks, practically since she had met Legolas. She hadn't stopped thinking about it since that night she realized just how in love with the elf she had been, and how it would hurt to lose him. She felt the weight of the rings around her neck and thought of all her alliances around the universe, and what her position on the throne would mean to ensuring peace for everyone.

Now it wasn't that Aurora hadn't taken Hazel's advice…but she knew what choice she was going to make before she turned on her heels and ran back up the side of the cliff to the encampment.


	16. The reason

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the people from Lord of the Rings. These people belong to the beloved J.R.. My only people are Aurora, Chad,Tansy,Arianna, Judith,Ray,Hazel,Prince Bardis,and the witch's council. Please don't use them without my permission. But if you ask...maybe.

I also use a lot of lines from the movie, these also belong to J.R.R. Tolkien and New line Cinema

Chapter 16: The reason

_I've found a reason for me  
To change who I used to be  
A reason to start over new  
and the reason is you_

_-The Reason, Hoobastank_

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

Aurora ran up the hill and through the camp as if the devil was chasing her. Her ancestor had dangled this piece of hope in front of her, this picture of a future she wanted. A future away from all the wars, from the politics, a life of happiness… A life with Legolas. Aurora wanted it so badly, right up until about 5 minutes ago she had thought it was out of her reach. Just a dream, and ideal she could never reach. But now, now she knew. That it wasn't just a dream, it was a future that she could attain. All she really had to do was reach out and take it.

As a Foreseer Aurora knew that the future was shaped was based on the choices that people made. For this reason Aurora's life had been played around waiting for others to make the choices that would shape the path the world would take. It was a terrible power to see the future, and for that reason Aurora had to walk a fine line when it came to being part of the choices being made about a world. Who is free of prejudice?

But now the game was different. It was _her_ future. She had every right to make the choices that would determine how her fate played out. And she was going to, and damn the consequences or the battles she would have to fight to keep it that way.

She rounded the corner to where Legolas' tent was, and was surprised to see the glow of the lamp leaking through the crack in between the tent flaps. She entered the tent, not bothering to announce herself or even ask if it was ok, and saw Legolas placing the last of his items in a travel sack.

"Oh good you're here, I was afraid I was going to have to go searching for you." Legolas said when he looked up and noticed her standing in the doorway.

"What the hell are you doing?" She replied completely forgetting to address the reasons she had sprinted up a mountain and across the camp for him. She felt the all too familiar sensation of her Foresight scratching at the back of her consciousness, and she realized suddenly that while she had been involved in conversation with her ancestor, she had missed a vision. So _that's_ why having a personal life was discouraged for Foreseers. Clarity was a bitch. Opening her mind she allowed the visions to flow through her mind, and very quickly got caught up with the current events.

"Ahh yes… Elrond. I suppose I should have seen that coming."

"Yes, and we must hurry if we are to go with Aragorn into the mountain." Legolas took her hand and started to pull her towards tent opening.

"Wait." It was very quiet, but the Elf's ears quite easily picked up on her whisper. Legolas immediately turned around to face the witch, understanding the seriousness in her tone.

"What bothers you?" Though she opened her mouth to respond, all words escaped her. She knew what she wanted to say, but didn't have a way to say it. Can human language encompass the depth of emotion in its fullness? Aurora thought not, but dammit she was going to have to try if she was ever going to have the life she dreamed of.

"I love you."

"I know that Aurora."

"You don't understand though Legolas. Everything I said before about us not being able to be together… all those stupid reasons don't matter anymore. I had a vision, and now I see the truth. We can be together, we've always had the choice of being together. The future is dictated by the choices we make, not the other way around. And I'm choosing you. I have seen that we WILL be together, not without struggles, but we will be happy."

"But what about…"

"It doesn't matter." Aurora cut him off. "For the first time in my life I am going to choose my own future. I have given everything I can for this world and for every other world, and I want what happiness has been offered to me. I know what is required of me to be with you, and to hell with the Council, and to hell with the throne. Deep down I know I was never meant to rule. My reason for life is right here in Middle Earth- and I don't just mean defeating Sauran. I love you, and I will not live without you." Aurora could see the light bulb click above Legolas' head as realization slowly set in. He leaned in suddenly and planted a ferocious kiss on her lips, and Aurora loved every second of it. It meant now that she was his, and he was hers.

"I love you, more than you can know." Aurora smiled at Legolas' words, and slowly visions of their future together slid through her mind. If Sauran thought he had tough opposition before, he hadn't seen anything yet.

"Oh yeah!" Aurora said suddenly and pulled away from the kiss a little begrudgingly. "Gotta go!" she grabbed Legolas's hand and yanked him out of the tent, waving her hand and magically snuffing out the candle lamp."Go meet up with Aragorn and I'll grab the horses." Legolas nodded and they parted ways.

Her heart was flying right now, and she was practically skipping to the makeshift stables they had. Who cared if they were going into a cave filled with pissed-off half dead soldiers? She was in love, and that was all that mattered to her. Reality came crashing in though as a powerful vision smashed through her conscious, causing her to stumble. She saw Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli on the road to the mountain…but not her. Then she saw herself riding with the Rohirrim towards Minas Tirith. Aurora couldn't help but roll her eyes. Of course after professing her love to the man she was going to spend eternity with they were supposed to part ways. It made perfect sense though, they wouldn't need a witch of her power to convince a bunch of dead guys to fight. They would need her power to keep the living alive in war. She sighed heavily.

"I hope you realize as soon as I am done saving this world, shit like this comes to an end," she whispered under her breath while glaring at the sky. The Beings were all power, so why couldn't they just fix it so that she could stay with Legolas? No point in questioning the gods, she understood they didn't answer to her. They had bestowed her magic and her Foresight upon her for this purpose, so she might as well bite her bottom lip to prevent the complaining and do as she was created for.

As she grabbed Legolas' horse by the reigns and pulled him in the direction on the mountain. She could feel the hesitation coming from the horse and was glad that she didn't have to try and direct one of the beasts through the dark mountain. She found her three companions, exactly where she though they would be, right at the edge of the camp and could over hear Aragorn trying to convince Gimli and Legolas to stay behind. Upon hearing her approach Legolas turned around to greet her, the look of confusion that passed over his face wasn't missed by the witch.

"Aurora, where is your horse?"

"I will stay here, where my magic is needed." It was a firm statement even though in her mind she was screaming to go with him, not to be parted from her love.

"I will not leave…" and for the second time that night Aurora cut him off by placing her fingers over his soft lips to prevent him from speaking.

"I stay here." She reached up with both her hands and tenderly took his face in her palms, and kissed him very chastely on the lips. "You _will_ see me again." _As long as you don't do anything stupid._ But Aurora didn't say that part out loud. She watched in silence as they mounted their horses and rode into the darkness of the mountain. She could hear the whispers of the men as they watched the three companions ride away into the night. Dismal, hopeless comments came from the men, and Aurora knew that she was supposed to rally the men to fight. But her heart hurt. She had waited all her life for Legolas to come into it, and watching him ride away hurt her in a way a sword never could. So without a word she turned and walked away from the gathering men, her presence there should have been enough to keep them in high spirits.

She walked back to Legolas' tent instead of her own and entered the makeshift room. Even though the bed of furs didn't look like it had been touched, she could feel the lingering presence of Legolas' gentle aura and knew he had slept here, for however brief a time. She lay on the furs, feeling closer to him already, and as selfish as it was, that night she prayed only for the safety of her lover.


	17. On the Horizon

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the people from Lord of the Rings. These people belong to the beloved J.R.. My only people are Aurora, Chad,Tansy,Arianna, Judith,Ray,Hazel,Prince Bardis,and the witch's council. Please don't use them without my permission. But if you ask...maybe.

I also use a lot of lines from the movie, these also belong to J.R.R. Tolkien and New line Cinema

Chapter 17: On the Horizon

In the Witches culture a rising sun is a symbol of life and hope, but as Aurora watched it slowly crawl over the horizon she knew what this day would bring for the people of Rohan. She didn't have to be a Foreseer to know that death and war were in the near future. Aurora had been up well before the sun, unable to get any form of restful sleep, and instead opted for meditation as a way to rest herself while creating a better bond between herself and the natural flow of magic of Middle Earth that some witches claimed was more fulfilling than sleep. Death and war had always been a part of her life, almost as natural to her breathing, her concern for the day was that stupid horse she would be stuck riding.

With a heavy sigh Aurora stood up and stretched out from the tips of her fingers straight down to her toes, the men of Rohan would be waking soon and she knew they would want to head out as soon as they could manage. As she ate a modest breakfast of fruit and biscuits Aurora contemplated the issue of wearing armor. She very rarely had worn protection, it felt unnatural to her and often hindered her ability to fight, but she knew that Legolas' head would explode if he knew she was going into battle without wearing something. As much as she hated the idea, the decision to wear a padded leather vest over her tunics was finally reached, even though she knew Legolas would want her in full body armor. Dressed, armored, and packed Aurora went to retrieve her horse and ran into Eowyn about halfway to the makeshift stables.

"My goodness Aurora, is that all the armor you are wearing?"

"Yeah… I'm not real big on the whole armor thing…"

"You are braver than I, I wouldn't go into battle in anything less than full armor."

"Yes well lucky you, Eowyn, you won't have to go into battle at all…" As soon as the words left her mouth, Aurora could feel sudden yet subtle shift in the air between the two.

"Oh yes… quite right….I meant if I _were_ to ever go into battle then I would…"

"Eowyn you aren't planning on doing something very stupid are you?"

"I can't imagine what you mean."

"Eowyn going to Gondor could get you killed and your people need you…"

"Who are you to tell me? You have never been told that because you are a woman you can't stand and fight for your people or your honor. You are respected and revered by your people, and as much as they need you, you certainly do not hesitate to throw yourself in the way of the sword. I will do the same for my people!" Eowyn stormed off as soon as her tirade came to an end, making it impossible for Aurora to explain that is was a little bit more complex than that. Aurora had a feeling all along that Eowyn wouldn't be able to resist the call of this battle, turns out that she was right which only made one more thing for Aurora to have to worry about. In the grander scheme that was just the cherry on top of her cluster-fuck sundae. With Frodo's where abouts basically unknown, the size of Sauron's army unknown, Legolas Gimli and Aragorn somewhere in the mountains looking for some undead army, the battle that she would soon be riding to, Eowyn deciding to go on a rebellious spree was pretty much the last thing on Aurora's list on priorities, just a footnote on the ever growing to-do list.

Aurora hadn't hardly gotten her horse saddled up before she could hear Eomer calling the troops to rally, swinging herself and her light pack onto the horse, she quickly rode to catch up to the king and the leader of the Rohirrim despite her desire to stay close to Eowyn and keep an eye on the girl, she knew it would draw attention. Seeing the mass of men on horses coming together to ride into battle was quite a sight to see, though Aurora knew that this awesome sight was really only a third of what should have really been there. As she rode next to Theoden and Eomer, she could feel a tension in the air and knew by the look on the king's face that a question was brewing in his troubled head, it was just a waiting game for Aurora until he chose to speak, which as it turned out wasn't all that long.

"So…witch…. What have you seen?" It was a stupid little thing but it still burned Aurora that even after she had died for his people Theoden refused to call her by anything but 'witch'. Theoden's tone, filled with sadness and defeat, stopped her from correcting him.

"Death, widespread destruction…all the normal things to expect from war." The answer was vague, and she had to try her best to keep it that way and hope that Theoden would be satisfied, though of course he wasn't.

"Nothing… more specific?" If she didn't give him an answer that he liked she knew he was going to keep probing her about it, as if her Foresight was a Magic 8 Ball: just keep shaking it till you get the answer you want. She really couldn't just come out with a 'why yes Theoden matter of fact you will die tomorrow' .

"The future is based on people's choices and will change with every new decision they make: and any decision already made can be undone in the heat of battle. Think of Isilidur. You think he planned to steal the Ring? A decision made in a second usurped the future of the entire universe and landed us both here having this conversation. Every second I see a new and different future, no two are alike. But I can promise you this Theoden, there is nothing that will happen on that battlefield that isn't for the best." Her answer seemed to satisfy him to an extent and the king was content to ride in silence for a time. He remained thoughtful for almost 2 hours before Aurora could feel another question coming.

"Were you prepared to die?" He was quieter than he was before, and Aurora assumed he was trying to prevent Eomer from hearing- and if he did he certainly made no acknowledgment. Aurora already knew that the king had resigned himself to sacrifice himself for country and countrymen should the need arise, all he was looking for was comfort.

"Theoden, from the time I was a very young girl I knew the sacrifices I would be called upon to make in my life. I was raised in a culture where I was taught that the highest honor that anyone could hope for was to save another, even if it meant dying themselves. It is not death that any culture is taught to fear so much as the unknown, and death is the greatest unknown. After living the life I have, after what I have seen and survived, I knew that no matter what lay on the other side of death's door… it could never be worse than the worst day of my life. And that helped me to embrace my fate. If there is any comfort I can give it is in this: "Sumo vestri nixor" its Latin and means to 'choose your struggle'. No matter the situation, no matter the outcome, if you choose it for yourself, then no one can ever have any power over you. If you are going to die, choose to die, because as soon as you do you are no longer a victim you are the martyr."

The king's only response was to nod his head. He remained silent for the rest of the time that they rode, and when the company had stopped Theoden chose to be alone in thought. Aurora watched him for a short time, waiting for that feeling to hit her that the future had changed again… but it never came. Apparently Theoden wasn't planning on making up his mind or choosing his own fate anytime soon and she was just going have to accept that. Aurora sat down next to her horse and allowed herself a moment to relax before the company was to head out again, knowing full well they would only stop one more time before they were in Gondor, and that was to get some sleep. Somewhere in this company was Eowyn and Aurora knew that, and she could only pray that whatever Theoden's decision it wouldn't affect the path that Eowyn was meant to take.


	18. Marked

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the people from Lord of the Rings. These people belong to the beloved J.R.. My only people are Aurora, Chad,Tansy,Arianna, Judith,Ray,Hazel,Prince Bardis,and the witch's council. Please don't use them without my permission. but if you ask...maybe.

Chapter 18: Marked

Despite having grown up in a castle that was partially lodged underground, Legolas wasn't fond of his current earthly could have been contributed to the fact that unlike his father's palace, this cave was dark and dank, though it may partially be related to the knowledge that it was filled with an army of angry undead soldiers. Though he was confident in his weaponry abilities, he knew this situation was better suited to Aurora's… talents. Neither his bow nor his longs knives would be of any use here, but that didn't stop him from keeping them close and his trigger finger itchy. His one real consolation was that Gimli too seemed ill at ease in the cave of horrors. After the Fellowship's journey through Moria, Legolas didn't think anyone would hold it against them to be unnerved by a cave that had human skulls lodged throughout the walls as though they were decorative pieces.

As the trio entered a large cavern the elf was suddenly struck by a feeling he could only assume was nausea, the feeling that his stomach was turning over in his gut an tying his intestines in knots, he nearly doubled over with this new sensation. This cavern had a different feel to it compared to the tunnels they had just been in. It felt more sinister, more dark… more dead. If there were a place in the afterlife reserved for murderers and rapists, he thought, it surely must look and feel like this. This particular slice of hell though, was being occupied by undead traitors.

"Who enters my domain?" A deep voice resonated from within the walls in seemed, coming from everywhere at once, though there was no one in the cavern with them. At least there wasn't anyone else with them until a green shadowy figure appeared in the cavern, fizzling out of thin air and taking its place near a large stairwell that seemed to not lead to anywhere.

"One who would have your allegiance" Aragorn's voice was strong an unwavering as he answered back to the wraith-like figure, Legolas knew though that his friend must be as uncomfortable and edgy as he was.

"The Dead do not suffer the living to pass"

"You will suffer me" Aragorn's response caused the ghost to laugh maniacally, and every hair on the back of Legolas' neck stood on end. As the laugh echoed through cavern , other ghost like figures began to appear, hundreds poured from the walls as though answering the call of a battle horn. As much respect as Legolas had for Aragorn , he would have traded the human for Aurora in a second. It seemed to him a Witch who had already died once before would be better capable of handling the undead over a Ranger, even if the Ranger was the heir to the throne.

" The way is shut, it was made by those who are dead, and the dead keep it." The green figure quoted the inscription above the entrance to the cave, it was meant to serve as a warning to those who were entering the cave, and if Legolas wasn't half sure he was about to die, he might have taken the opportunity to appreciate the irony of the situation. However as the green shadows that had just come from the walls were surrounding the three companions, irony wasn't at the top of Legolas list of things to focus on.

"Now you must die." The way the figure said it made Legolas' skin crawl, and his natural reaction was to put an arrow in this demons head. Even as he drew back the bow and released the arrow faster than the human eye could follow, Legolas knew the arrow wouldn't do any harm to someone who was already dead. His plan was to draw focus and perhaps give Aragorn time to get the three of them out of this mess.

"I summon you to fufill your oath."The Ranger's voice remained strong, unwavering, almost a sense of calm to it, as though Aragorn already knew the outcome of this meeting.

"None but the king of Gondor may command me." As the ghostly king raised his sword, Legolas was sure his dear friend was about to meet his end, But as Aragorn raised his sword to parry the blow his sword held true and deflected the oncoming sword… to the surprise of all in the cavern. " That line was broken!" the king shouted in defiance.

" It has been remade." The coolness of Aragorn's voice caused the shadowy figure to take a step back. "Fight for us and regain your honor. What say you?" There was a long pause as no one answered, forcing Aragorn to repeat his question.

"You waste your time Aragorn. They had no honor in life they have none now in death." Despite obviously being uncomfortable, Gimli still managed to steady to voice and say his opinion. Aragorn ignored the statement outright but adjusted his deal hoping to gain the allegiance of the undead.

" I am Isildur's heir. Fight for me and I will hold your oath's fulfilled. What say you?" Again Aragorn's speech was met with an uncomfortable silence. It seemed to Legolas they were getting nowhere fast with these undead creatures, and every moment spent here trying to rally support was time spent away from the battle and away from Aurora. Knowing her she was already dead… again.

"Aragorn, we have lingered long enough. We cannot delay any longer. If they choose not to fight that is their prerogative, but we waste precious time trying to negotiate with those who seek nothing more than self satisfaction," As soon as he had said the statement he wished he had not, for the ghost king's eyes (or what would have been eyes if he were whole bodied) turned their attention on him immediately.

"You. You have been marked elf… marked by one of them." Legolas stood dumbfounded unsure of who 'them' was, until the figure sneered in disgust. " You reek of magic." It dawned on him quite suddenly that this undead creature could sense Aurora's magical aura around him.

"It is no concern of yours."

"Tell me, this Witch you smell of… is she powerful?" The way he said it was making Legolas uncomfortable, but looking to Aragorn the elf could tell that the ranger was just as confused with the new direction this negotiation had taken. Legolas knew he had to tread lightly, being that these demons weren't allied with them yet, or their stance on Witches, he didn't want to unknowingly give away information that could hurt his lover.

"The most powerful of all the Witches anywhere."

"Indeed." After a moment of silence the ghost spoke again. "We will fight for you."

Though the trio was relieved to hear it, they were just as insecure that for whatever reason, the information about Aurora seemed to be the deciding factor in their allegiance.

"For what reason do you want Aur… the Witch?" Legolas caught himself before divulging Aurora's name and therefore his closeness to her, even though he thought if the undead could smell the scent of her magic on him they must assume the two were close.

'We were cursed through Isildur by the power of a Witch, only to be broken by fulfilling our oath to the line of Isildur. However should the heir of Isildur choose to not free us after our oath was fulfilled and choose to use us for more ambitious purposes, the curse can always be broken by another of the Witch kind. So Aragorn, isildur's heir, we will fight only because we know that a Witch can and _will _free us of our curse when we have fought for you."

Even though Legolas was assured in his own mind that Aragorn would free these captive souls after they had fought for Mina Tirith, he also knew that should the worst happen Aurora would more than willingly lift any curse left by an ancient Witch. The ghost king finally returned his gaze to Aragorn.

"Lead us, oh king, to Minas Tirith."


	19. The Siege of Gondor

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the people from Lord of the Rings. These people belong to the beloved J.R.R Tolkien . My only people are Aurora, Chad,Tansy,Arianna, Judith,Ray,Hazel,Prince Bardis,and the witch's council. Please don't use them without my permission. but if you ask...maybe.

I also use a lot of lines from the movie, these also belong to J.R.R. Tolkien and New line Cinema.

Chapter 19: The Siege of Gondor

Aurora recognized her mistake almost instantly. She couldn't understand how she had missed it right up until the point where the fighters of Rohan crested a hill leading to Minas Tirith. As she saw the masses of orcs that Mordor had supplied for the siege of Gondor she became oh so very aware of her mistake.

This assault from Rohan was going to be led on horses. She let out an audible groan.

Beings almighty she was going to be the first one to die. She might not even die on an orc blade, her horse would probably just throw her and break her neck. As the riders formed their assault line Theoden launched into a pep talk, aimed at riling up the riders for the charge. Aurora leaned as far forward in her saddle as she could, resting much of her weight on the horses neck.

"If you throw me and get me killed I swear to the Beings my dying act will be to transport you to my world," She whispered in the horses ear, " Do you know what they do to horses in New York City? They make you _glue_. Don't get me killed and you won't spend the rest of your days as a tube of Elmer's. Capiche?" The golden horse turned its head and gave a single nod. Aurora doubted the horse could understand her or that the nod meant anything…but she took it as a good sign anyway. As she readjusted herself back in the saddle Theoden was starting a war cry of "Death!". While Aurora wasn't keen on the idea of dying (again) she remembered an old saying she had heard in her school days: Go into battle hoping to live and you will surely perish. Go into battle prepared to die, and you will return the victor.

Aurora raised her voice with the army around her and joined the war cry, and as if a single joined unit, all the horses moved forward together toward war. As they charged forward to battle, Aurora could clearly see the ranks of orcs… pikes in front and archers behind. She didn't need her Foresight to know that they would be hit with a volley of arrows in an attempt by orcs to slow them down before reaching the pikes. Aurora pulled back on the reigns slightly, slowing her horse enough that she could maneuver herself behind the middle charge of riders, and behind the king. She saw the volley of arrows being loosed just as she suspected, and in a moment of blind faith in her horse, let go of her reigns. She raised both hands up toward the sky and focused her magical energy on the bulk of the arrows, deflecting them or stopping them altogether. She lacked perfection though as some arrows got past her magical defense. She could hear the screams of both horses and riders as they went down. The main part of her plan had worked though and the first wave of horses hit the orcs like a locomotive ripping straight into the mass.

What she hadn't planned for though, was the fact that the sound of that first wave of horses hitting the shields and armor of the orcs would spook her horse without the controlling hands of a horse master- or even her hands- on the reigns to guide the horse. Much like she had predicted before the battle had even started, Aurora was thrown from her saddle. She landed with a thud on the hard packed ground and used what little momentum she had to roll back to her feet. With the wind knocked out of her she found she was slightly disoriented, and the world around her was in complete chaos. She ducked around a few charging horses, trying to catch her breath. She didn't even bother pulling her sword from its sheath. She was a lone woman, thrown from her horse into the midst of the largest orc army ever assembled, and if she was being completely honest with herself she knew her sword skills weren't good enough to keep her alive in this situation. It was magic or nothing.

As she drew what little energy was left in the tainted earth into herself for extra energy, Aurora would release magical pulses into the mass of orcs, vaporizing some instantly if they were at the epicenter of the blast, or just throwing them a few hundred feet from the blast. The riders did much of the work, thinning the crowd of orcs by either hacking them down or driving them back behind their defenses. Just as Aurora's spirits started to lift with the retreat of the orcs, she heard a noise. It sounded very distinctly like a battle horn, but not a horn any orc had ever used. As she turned her sights in the direction of Mordor, she understood too soon why the orcs hadn't fought to keep their position and had retreated so easily. They had reinforcements. Really BIG reinforcements.

"Son of a bitch," she mumbled as she caught sight of the largest elephants she had ever had the misfortune to see. Size wasn't the only thing they had in their favor either, although not to say it wasn't an advantage being big enough to carry a whole platoon of fighters, but these elephants had been outfitted for war. Enormous spikes had to been fitted to their tusks and well as their body armor. So besides being trampled to death by the Godzilla of Middle Earth, there was the real possibility of ending the day as a shish kebab. As Theoden and his riders reformed their line, the elephants started to run, no _thunder_, at them.

"Oh no sir." Aurora declared as her every instinct screamed at her to get out of the path of the enormous beasts. Out here in the middle of a battle field though, her choices were limited. But as she watched Theoden's men charge at the enormous creatures, and inevitably watched them get thrown around like rag dolls, she knew running wasn't an option at all. For just a moment she was frozen in her place and she tried to come to a decision about what to do, within that minute though 2 of the large beasts were brought down by the riders. Just as Aurora had committed herself to joining the fray, a very familiar demonic shriek sent a ripple of fear up her spine. She didn't even need to turn around to recognize the sound of a Wraith.

As she spun to face the direction the shriek had come from, she had only but a flash of Foresight and a second to react and throw herself to the ground before the dragon's talons snapped around the space she had just been occupying. From the ground Aurora's eyes opened wide in disbelief as her eyes took in the sight of a Ringwraith circling overhead on a dragon. Scrambling to her feet it became apparent to the young witch instantly what she could contribute to the fight. She wasn't much of a horse rider, and her sword skills were only intermediate by comparison. But she could go toe-to-toe with any magical being any day of the week and come out the victor. A quick glance around the skies located 3 wraiths, where the rest were she had no idea. Her original attacker swooped around for another pass at her. Taking a battle stance, a plan formed in Aurora's head. She would only have one chance at it and it would have to timed to perfection… or in her case just guess and hope for the best. As the dragon grew closer, her muscles tensed in anticipation. When she swore the creature was within spitting range, she sidestepped quickly to the right and then with all the leg muscle she had, she leapt into the air. She crashed into the dragon's neck, wrapped her arms around the hard blue scaled thing and held on for dear life. She let out a yelp of surprise as she left the creature sharply climb into the air, gaining altitude at an alarming rate. Turning her head against the rough scales she caught sight of the wraith, and the arrow he had pointed at her face.

She had to act quickly.

She moved her left arm as close to the dragon's head as possible and let loose a magical pulse straight to the back of its head. Her magic had the same effect on the dragon that a shotgun would have had on a human body. There was a spray of blood and brain matter, and then the creature bucked wildly. Aurora felt the arrow that had been meant for her head deflect painfully off her right shoulder blade, sending shooting pain down her arm and back. With the dragons head no longer intact, the body plunged from the sky with her and the wraith still clinging to it. Immediately the witch let go of the dragons body and began focusing her magic toward slowing her descent towards earth, a form of magic she had little need for in New York. She hit the ground hard, but not at the lethal speed that the wraith and the body hit the ground. If the dragon hadn't been dead before, it was certainly dead now. Bruised and battered, Aurora half crawled half stumbled over to the remains of the dragon intent on finding the wraith. The body was mostly pinned under the dragon carcass, but the dark shapeless face was looking right at her and spitting every curse known to mankind in her direction. Stumbling over she fell to her knees next to the wraith and plunged her hand into the space that would have been a face if the wraith had been a living person and transported herself and the creature to the Netherworld. She left the poor tormented soul in good company and brought herself back to battle where she now sat beside a dead dragon and an empty black robe.

She took only a minute to catch her breath and assess the pain level radiating from her shoulder before pushing herself back to her feet and away from the body. To her ultimate surprise there was another dead dragon not 200 feet away, the wraith however was alive and well and facing off against Eowyn.

"Headstrong, stupid human girl," Aurora mumbled as she starting in Eowyn's direction. She hadn't taken but ten steps when the third Nazgul she had spotted suddenly and violently landed in front of her. Taken by surprise, Aurora fell back and found herself once again on the hard packed and now blood stained field. She gasped and rolled out of the way as a dragon claw slammed into the earth next to her. She immediately rolled back over the opposite direction as the other claw made an attempt at her life. As she tried to scramble to her feet and stay alive she heard the thump as the Wraith dismounted his ride and came at her. On her knees and fighting against stiff muscles and soreness to get on her feet, there was an insurmountable surge of pain in the left side of her rib cage and the distinct crack of a rib breaking. Considering that the Wraith wore metal plated boots, Aurora was lucky that his kick to her gut hadn't broken several ribs. The air rushed out of her in one giant whoosh. The force of the kick flipped her on her back and she was forced to stare into the lifeless black shape that was the Nazgul. She coughed violently trying to catch her breath in spite of the pain. The wraith raised his sword above her head to deliver the death blow…

….But it never came. A green fog filled her vision and the nauseating feeling of death overcame her, and as it did the Wraith disappeared from her vision, though she could hear its screams outside her field of vision. She took a few choked deep breaths and rolled over enough to see a portion of the battle field. Aurora couldn't tell if it was the pain clouding her vision, but the green fog that had rescued her had taken on the shape of ghosts: lots and lots of ghosts.

"Weirdest fucking day of my life, " She mumbled as she lay back down on the blood soaked field and allowed disorientation and exhaustion to take over her senses.


	20. Settling Dust

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the people from Lord of the Rings. These people belong to the beloved J.R. . My only people are Aurora, Chad,Tansy,Arianna, Judith,Ray,Hazel,Prince Bardis,and the witch's council. Please don't use them without my permission. but if you ask...maybe.

I also use a lot of lines from the movie, these also belong to J.R.R. Tolkien and New line Cinema.

Chapter 20: Settling dust

The sky was blue. Perfect, clear Crayola blue. Days like this were few and far between in New York City, where there was a near constant overcast gray above. Aurora took a deep breath, and the smell of the perfect summer day filled her lungs. The grass was a vibrant green beneath her, soft and caressing her skin. She gave out a satisfied sigh and turned her head to look at Legolas, who lay beside her on the grass, their fingers intertwined.

"We should get a hotdog," She mumbled lazily. " Or maybe pizza. You haven't lived until you have had a slice of real New York City pizza."

Aragorn and Legolas exchanged a glance over Aurora's form which lay prostrate on a table. Her broken ribs had been bound, and Aragorn was attempting to attend to the arrow wound on Aurora's shoulder. She had developed a fever quite suddenly and her forehead was covered in sweat. Her garbled speech caused a worried expression to form on Legolas' face.

"Do you require any further proof that the arrow was poisoned?" Aragorn asked as he rubbed a salve on the wound, where the skin had started to turn black. Legolas felt completely useless as Aragorn treated Aurora's wounds, the only thing he could do was hold her hand and place a cool cloth on her forehead to help break the fever. Thankfully, Aragorn was as swift a healer as he was knowledgeable, setting the bones and cleaning the arrow wounds in record time. Legolas hoped that speed also meant that Aurora had been spared any unnecessary suffering. Finally finished, Aragorn placed a hand on Legolas' shoulder as he started to leave the room.

"She needs to rest. You do too my friend."

"I should say the same for you. You look terrible." Legolas and Aragorn exchanged a small smile, then Aragorn left Legolas and Aurora alone. The elf rested his head on the table next to Aurora's as she continued her delusional chatter about "ferry rides".

It was several hours before Aurora's jibber-jabber finally stopped, and a few hours after that before her breathing was relaxed and Legolas was sure that she was actually sleeping and not simply in a comatose state brought on by Mordor poison. The moon made one full pass across the deep night sky, and Legolas didn't sleep a wink. It wasn't until the morning hours that Aurora's eyes finally cracked open and Legolas could see that she was completely lucid again.

"Ow," was all she could mumble in a small miserable voice.

"It is nice to see you awake again, you looked as though you took quite a thrashing." Legolas pushed the blonde hair out of Aurora's eyes.

"What's the damage?" Aurora slowly rolled over with much difficulty and ran a hand over her abdomen, assessing how her torso and ribcage were bound in linen.

"You have at least two broken ribs, and extensive bruising. The arrow that hit your shoulder was poisoned, however since it only grazed you the effects were limited."

"Yeah who knew that wraiths had terrible aim while plummeting towards earth…God it's hard to breathe."

"Good, then Aragorn bound your ribs tight enough that you cannot further hurt yourself." Legolas retrieved a pitcher of water and a glass from a nearby table and poured the Witch a drink of water, which she gulped down greedily albeit with some difficulty.

"How did you find me out there in all that mess?" Aurora had finished two more glasses of water before she could manage a question.

"Finding you was the easy part, I simply looked for the most obvious anomaly on the battle field. Three Ringwraiths dead within a few hundred feet of each other struck everyone as a little odd. Sure enough, there you were. You had us very worried when Aragorn discovered that the arrow wound on your shoulder was tainted with poison. We rushed you into the city so you could be treated as fast as we could manage, even then you were quite delusional by the time Aragorn had applied salve to your wounds."

"How delusional was I?"

"Well… I'm not sure what New York pizza is but you were very adamant that I need to try some." Aurora started to laugh but was cut short by the pain in her chest when she did. Strange as it was, this was the first time that the Witch had to suffer through a broken rib. She HAD broken ribs, and multiple other bones before, but this was the first time that Tansy or any other Witch Healer wasn't around to reset the bone using magic, thus eliminating the pain aspect. While the option of calling a Healer was always an option as Princess of the Witch peoples, there was no way she would subject her students or any other decent person to the mass carnage and devastation that she was sure was wide spread outside her room.

"Is everyone else still alive?" Legolas didn't need to ask Aurora to clarify her question, he knew that when she said 'everyone else', she meant the other members of the Fellowship. He simply nodded. With what little energy she could muster she forced herself into a sitting position.

"Are you hungry?" Legolas asked as he watched Aurora sit up.

"No I just want to get out of this bed, out of this room, and see what's left of the world."

"You are in no shape to go anywhere Aurora. Please lay back down."

"Negative." She heaved herself to her feet and started for the door. This required far more energy than Aurora had originally predicted.

"Aurora please." The sound of Legolas pleading brought her up short before she could leave the room. She hated making him worry, she certainly hated telling him no, but she was way too restless to stay in the small room any longer. She needed to know what had happened, what was the damage left from the battle, who was still alive, and if they were in any condition to launch a counter strike.

"You can come with me and make sure I don't kill myself falling down a set of stairs, or you can stay here." She held her hand out to him and beckoned for him to follow. He only hesitated for a moment, caught between standing his ground and his need to protect her, before he gave in and took her hand, helping her down the hallway.

"Where is everyone else?"

"In the great hall, I'm assuming to discuss the next step in our defiance of Mordor. Aragorn and Gandalf both felt it would be better to give everyone a much needed night of rest without the threat of death lingering overhead before we created a battle plan."

"Then I guess we are headed to the great hall." It was slow going since it only took about 20 steps before Aurora became winded, although Legolas insisted that the linens holding her ribs in place weren't bound as tightly as Aurora's grumbling about them made them seem.

The others were already deep in conversation by the time that the duo reached the great hall. Aurora came to a stop just outside the circle of talk that included Gandalf, Aragorn, Eomer, and Gimli. Merry and Pippin sat a few yards away in silence, oddly distanced from the rest of the group. Based on what was already being said in the group, the others were far ahead of her counter attack thoughts earlier.

"Draw our Sauron's armies," Aragorn was saying as Aurora and Legolas joined the group, " Empty his gather our full strength and march on the Black Gate." His statement triggered a stunned silence from the group that was only broken by Gimli's over dramatic choking on his pipe.

"We cannot achieve victory through strength of arms." Eomer said, his voice full of reason and concern.

"Not for us," Aragorn's voice remained calm and collected, " But we can give Frodo his chance if we keep Sauron's Eye fixed on us. Keep him blind to all else that moves."

"A diversion." Legolas said from beside her. Aurora understood however that Aragorn's plan was more than just a diversion…it was suicide.

"Sauron will suspect a trap, he will not take the bait." Gandalf said doubtfully.

"Not unless I was the bait." Aurora finally spoke up turning every eye in the group towards her.

"Absolutely not." Was Legolas' only response.

"You are hardly in the condition to be on a battlefield." Gandalf said, somewhat bemused.

"That's the point. Sauron wants you all dead, but me more than anyone. I've been a thorn in his side since the day I showed up in this world. In the damaged condition that I am in, to march me in front of the Black Gate is a bet Sauron will take, it's an opportunity he can't pass up. If it means the chance to kill me, he will send his entire army and more if he can spare it, especially if he believes I am already weakened."

"You _are _already weakened." Legolas hissed at her under his breath. Aurora gave him a sidelong glance but ignored his statement.

"I do have a condition though." Every eyebrow in the room went up at this. " I need to know that Frodo is in Mordor, preferably somewhere near Mount Doom. I died once for this world already I'm not going to risk it again unless I know for sure that it will benefit Frodo."

"Frodo has passed beyond my sight and you have said as well that you cannot see him any longer through your Foresight. How would you like us to find him." Gandalf replied gruffly.

" You are right, we cannot see him using the sight granted by modern magics. But I believe that Sauron is specifically focusing his energy to block our sight, he might not be focusing on or even be aware of us looking in if we were to find a different way. There are other ways to "see", more…ancient…techniques that could be used."

Gandalf actually let out a guffaw of laughter. " My dear if you can find a Witch in these days that knows anything about the Ancient Magicks much more how to scry I will kiss a frog."

A wicked smile crossed Aurora's face when Gandalf said that. Turning, she spotted a young paige boy standing just on the inside of the doorway of the hall leading back to the kitchen and serving areas. "You there, boy, I need you to find me a few things." When the young child came forward, the Witch prattled off a list of a few small, seemingly randomized, ingredients. When she had finished, the boy turned and quickly headed back to the kitchens. As she watched him recede, Aurora called after him.

"And find Gandalf a frog that he can kiss."


	21. Visions and Promises

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the people from Lord of the Rings. These people belong to the beloved J.R. . My only people are Aurora, Chad,Tansy,Arianna, Judith,Ray,Hazel,Prince Bardis,and the witch's council. Please don't use them without my permission. But if you ask...maybe.

I also use a lot of lines from the movie, these also belong to J.R.R. Tolkien and New line Cinema.

Chapter 21: Visions and promises

"May I ask where it is you learned how to scry?" Gandalf watched as Aurora organized and placed the ingredients how she desired. Grabbing five candles, the witch walked around the hall placing a candle in each true direction: North, South, East and West. The candles were placed on the line of a perfect circle created by dirt from Gondor that Aurora had blessed a moment before.

"My father taught me," She replied simple, taking care in how she placed four of the five candles.

"Your father passed away over a decade ago."

"My parents were _murdered _twelve years ago and I was there to see it, trust me I remember every minute I ever spent with them when they were alive. To this day I can still tell you what size trimmer my dad used on his beard. When I was younger my dad used to show me this stuff, some of the best memories I have are our time together messing around with the Ancient Magicks." Aurora set the last candle in the center of the circle created by the other candles, directly in front of small silver bowl filled with perfectly clear water. She had been very clear on the point that the water had to be clean and clear, otherwise this whole thing would be pointless.

"I do not understand how this will help if Sauron is trying to prevent you from seeing into Mordor, I thought Foresight was the most powerful gift you possessed." Aragorn and the others stood outside the circle created by the blessed dirt and the candles.

"Scrying is a totally different form of magic than my Foresight is. Thousands of years ago when my people first discovered that there was energy flowing through the earth that could be harnessed and manipulated, we had to use conduits, kind of like the stuff I have right now, to use it. That's how the old wives tales about spells and concoctions and incantations came to be. After a while, our connection to the energy in the earth became stronger and we needed fewer and fewer conduits to control it, although some branches of magic such as wizards and voodoo doctors still hold to the old methods. Finally the time came when we realized that certain groups of witches had better control of some areas of magic than others, which is how our Gifts came about. Using the old spells fell into disuse and now it's more of a party trick than an actually form of magic. But since it's so old and I have to use those old conduits and rituals to use the magic, Sauron probably won't feel it happening until it's too late. At least that's the plan."

Aurora sat cross legged in front of the bowl of crystal clear water. There was a small dish to her right that had a few grains of dirt, which had been scraped from beneath the fingernail of an orc, which was from Mordor. There was small silver knife to her left which had gone through a similar blessing that the dirt had. Glancing around to be sure everything was where she needed it, Aurora took a deep breath and focused her energy. Though she sat perfectly still in the meditative position, every muscle in her body was relaxed and her breathing flowed effortlessly and even. Extending both of her arms straight out in front of her over the bowl, fingers splayed out, the candles lit up simultaneously. With one final deep breath Aurora began to weave her spell. As her voice filled the room and her spell began to take shape, the clear water in the bowl began to vibrate gently:

"Clear the clouds and let me see,  
That which so far is unclear to me,  
Show to me what must be shown,  
And clear the path to the unknown"

As she continued to speak, Aurora sprinkled the dirt from Mordor into the vibrating water. The dirt immediately dissolved into the clear water and the vibrations became more excited. Her eyes began to change, the whites swallowing up the rest of her eye, leaving the witch to look like she was blind.

"East then South, West and North.  
Answers I seek, I call you forth.

The blood which my heart will provide

Shall be the key to open my eyes."

Grabbing the knife that had been blessed for this purpose, she slit the tip of her left ring finger. The vein to that finger runs directly to the heart, she knew a cut to this finger offers up blood that has come straight from the heart. All desires and secrets are held within that blood, it is blood that cannot lie. Three droplets of blood fell from her finger into the water, which stopped vibrating as the blood and water became one in the bowl.

"Let my visions be pure and blessed."

Dipping her right hand into the water, the witch threw a handful of the water into the air, and every drop from the bowl followed. But the water did not fall to the ground and spill. It stayed in the air, contorting into a perfectly round ball swirling around and around, pure and clear. No indication of blood or dirt could be seen within the water. As the ball of water swirled faster and faster, small figures began to take shape deep within the rotating orb. Everything in the ball became dark all at once, the only contrast were two small pale figure, dressed in orc armor walking across a barren dark wasteland that could only be Mordor. The larger of the two figures stopped and looked around. Sam.

_"Did you hear that Mr. Frodo?"_

_ "No Sam, I cannot hardly hear anything but for the sound of Him in my head." _ Frodo's barely audible voice answered back. The entire room tensed up with energy and excitement barely being contained within those watching the spell, they were only stayed by fear of breaking the spell. The darkness in the water suddenly erupted into flames and an eye filled the ball. Aurora gasped and dropped her hands, the water following in suit and smashing to the floor and all the candles blew out together, the vision lost forever. There was a moment of tense silence as Aurora recovered herself. With a sigh and a smile she turned to the others.

"He's alive." And the room erupted into sounds and movement. Merry and Pippin hugged each other, while Gandalf and Aragorn started to discuss the logistics of the attack that would be launched against the Black Gate. Legolas helped Aurora to her feet and led her back to a room where she could lie down, the walk back to the room exhausted her worse than the spell had. She sat on the bed heavily and gave a long sigh.

"I'm exhausted."

" None of us has really rested since this journey began, it is a small wonder we still live and breathe." Legolas sat next to her on the thin mattress and rubbed her back in small circles.

"It's so much more than that though. I am exhausted with this life. I am twenty two years old, and I have seen horrors that even the most seasoned of warriors have not seen, been in so many battles. So many. I get myself tangled up everyone else's problems, following some crazy conviction I have to redeem myself. I just can't stop myself, I see a vision and just have to do something about it. That's how I ended up in Middle Earth for this whole mess, I saw a vision and dropped everything to come here."

"Yes and I do believe that we were better off for it." Legolas continued to rub her back as she rested her head on his strong shoulder. His touch was comforting to her, making the pain in her side from the broken ribs simply melt away as though it never existed to begin with.

"But is it really? Can anyone say what really would have happened if I hadn't ever shown up? Who is to say that Middle Earth wouldn't have done just as well without me, who can say you wouldn't have survived?"

"I wouldn't want to survive without you." Legolas whispered into to blonde hair.

"That's sweet. But I'm serious. My whole life I have been running from my past and right into a whole bunch of trouble, but I never stopped to think about if any of the worlds I helped would have made it on their own. My mother knew how to help from the sidelines just as much as she knew when to help from the front lines of an attack; she had the wisdom to know which course of action was the right one to take. I'm tired Legolas. I'm tired of fighting." They sat together in silence and they contemplated what she had said. Aurora meant every word of it, she had every intention of retiring when this whole debacle was done and over with. Her great ancestor and namesake had survived for thousands of years disguised as her mentor Hazel, always affecting this from sidelines, never one time directly involving herself in the affairs of other worlds.

"Perhaps we should focus on you surviving this last attack against Mordor first?" Always sensible, that was Legolas. That suited Aurora just fine since she needed someone in her life to balance out her insanely impulsive tendencies. Her parents had been the same way, her father was playful but well grounded, balancing out her mother's seriousness and dedication to the people.

In the back of her mind the idea had been forming for some time, stewing in her subconscious since that fateful night that Hazel had revealed herself to really be the first Aurora Borealis of her bloodline. Not a night had passed that she hadn't mulled over what she had been told by her great ancestor, that she would have to make a choice between Legolas and her people. Aurora now understood how her ancestor had been able to make the choice to simply disappear into legend and survive under an alias. In her own strange way, the ancient Witch has chosen her people over he own desires, a decision that Aurora had been wrestling with. But as she continued to question her own direct involvement in the affairs of the other Dimensions, the more Aurora could understand the choice her namesake had made thousands of years ago. Why couldn't Aurora do the same thing? Fake her own death, disappear into legend, and live the life she wanted with Legolas while still influencing the fate of her own people? It wouldn't be that easy, it never was, but the idea was so sweet that it seemed plausible.

"Would you run away with me?" She asked him quite suddenly. The elf lifted his head and moved away from her, adjusting so he could look her in the eye. He didn't bother hiding any emotion behind that Elvish façade, he let her see the quizzical expression on his face.

"Aurora what do you mean?"

"If we survive all this insanity and Sauron is defeated, would you be willing to give up everything with me? To leave our thrones and just be together? Would you run away with me?"They starred at each other in silence, Legolas searching her calm face for any indication that she wasn't being completely serious. Finding none, he gave her the reply she wanted most of all.

"To the very ends of the earth." And their lips locked in a deep and desperate kiss. Now the only thing left was for them to survive the last great battle for Middle Earth.


	22. March on the Black Gate

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the people from Lord of the Rings. These people belong to the beloved J.R. . My only people are Aurora, Chad,Tansy,Arianna, Judith,Ray,Hazel,Prince Bardis,and the witch's council. Please don't use them without my permission. But if you ask...maybe.

I also use a lot of lines from the movie, these also belong to J.R.R. Tolkien and New line Cinema.

**Author's Note: I did some research before writing this chapter and found out that it would take the average person 8 full days to walk from the main gate of Minas Tirith to the Black Gate of Mordor. And honestly as a writer that was just time I couldn't account for in this chapter so I shortened it way down so it would take less than a day if they had set out at sunrise. I know it's not true to the works of Tolkien and I'm sorry. **

Chapter 22: March on the Black Gate

It took two full days before the army could be regrouped. Major losses had been suffered during the siege of Gondor, and many who had just survived an attack from Mordor weren't overly willing to go up against the dark lord again so soon. Aragorn and Gandalf had quite a way with words though, and short of those too injured to fight, the entire remnants of Gondor's soldiers and the Riders of Rohan had been assembled for this one last push against Mordor. Under orders from Legolas, Aurora has stayed in bed for those 2 days willing her bones to heal faster than they were capable. If she'd had half a brain in her head when she was still in school, she would have taken those battlefield healing classes so as to set the bones herself. Hindsight is always 20/20 however, so Aurora was stuck in bed wishing she was able to prepare the troops or rally the men. By the time everyone was ready to head out, the young witch was itching to get out of bed.

Aurora wasn't excited at the thought of having to be back on a horse, especially after being tossed like a ragdoll off the back of the last horse she had been on, but if she had to be she was at least glad she didn't have to ride alone. Despite adamant protests from Legolas, Aurora insisted on riding with Aragorn. The whole point of this balls-to-the-wall plan was that they were to be acting like bait to draw out Sauron's armies, since he wanted those two dead the most it only seemed logical that the heir to the throne of Witches and the heir to the throne of Men ride together to be the most tempting target they could be. Right now Sauron was like a rabid animal backed into a corner, he might look like he is on the defense but all he needed was the right target to lash out at. She only prayed he did take the bait. While Aurora had a plan B to protect Frodo, it was plan B for a reason; it was a lot stupider and a lot riskier for everyone and involved using her magic to essentially teleport herself to Mt Doom to find Frodo. Anyone that knew anything could tell you that you did NOT want to be teleporting yourself to any place called Doom.

Riding on a horse was incredibly jarring for someone with broken ribs, Aurora just had to grind her teeth and bare it. After all, it wasn't like walking was plausible option. One day, that was all she had to survive while dodging sympathetic looks from Legolas was just one day. But it was an excruciating day. Never before had she thought she would be relieved to see the Black Gates of Mordor, but that was exactly the feeling she had as they passed around the last bend. Honestly she had expected to see legions of Mordor's army of orcs ready and waiting for them. But there was no one, no acknowledgement that they had just marched a whole army onto someone else's lands and were gathering together to launch an attack. It was obvious that everyone was thinking the same thing, it was just little Pippin who voiced it.

"Where are they?" He whispered to Gandalf, although whispering was pointless; it was so quiet out on the fields that if a feather had fallen it would have sounded like glaciers crashing into the ocean. It was enough of a concern to everyone though that wordlessly and synchronized, Gandalf, Legolas, Eomer, and Aragorn headed directly at the Black gate, towing their passengers with them. Arriving at the Black Gate they only halted for a moment, waiting for reaction from the other side of the wall. When nothing happened Aurora exchanged a worried look with the White Wizard, maybe she had been very wrong about Sauron, maybe he didn't want her dead that badly. That thought in itself made her want to laugh. Who would have thought that someone NOT wanting her dead would hurt her feelings? Aragorn though wasn't taking no for an answer.

"Let the Lord of the Black land come forth, "He called loudly for anyone listening," Let justice be done upon him!"

"Oh Aragorn don't poke the bear." Aurora mumbled to him.

"Let us just see…" the ranger mumbled back. Sure enough all it took was being taunted. With a grind and some creaks of protest, the Black Gate began to open revealing that all of Mordor had indeed been emptied for their arrival. All four horses were turned about at the same time, riding back to where the line of soldiers had formed. At the sight of the mass of armored orcs coming from within Mordor, a visible ripple of fear passed through the men. Aragorn was ready for it though, and had a rallying speech prepared that he immediately launched into as soon as they had entered hearing range of the men. Unfortunately he didn't feel it necessary to let Aurora off the horse before he launched into his little pep talk, and she was forced to suffer on the back of the evil animal. As Aragorn paced back and forth on the horse talking about how today was not the day that 'the courage of men fails', Aurora was swearing that one of her already broken ribs was going to pop right out of her chest the next time Aragorn swung the horse about. She had forced down a meager breakfast this morning at Legolas' insistence, and now she was wondering if it was going to stay down, the pain was becoming THAT nauseating. That must look great to the men she realized, the all powerful witch sitting on the back of a horse looking like she is going to toss her cookies. Very dainty.

"I bid you stand, Men of the west!" Aragorn's speech was coming to a climax and all Aurora could wish for was that he would wrap it up and let her off this thing. At the sound of swords being drawn from shields, the horse was brought to a halt and Aurora practically leapt from its back to sweet and solid ground. When Aurora turned back to face the orcs, her stomach dropped when she realized just how many orcs Sauron had under his control. The amount of orcs that had attacked Gondor had been maybe half of his real force… and now they were starring down the rest. Aurora reached out to either side of her and closed her fists around some invisible force. Though the lands of and surrounding Mordor were tainted by Sauron's dark and malicious energy, her white aura gave her a claim over the magic that ran through the earth that no amount of evil could suppress. The feel of this magical energy was just as tangible and able of being manipulated by her as a sword in the hands of a master warrior would be. She was going to unleash something truly terrifying on the armies of Sauron, and she couldn't wait to do it. As the orcs started to form a semi-circle around the line of Men, she felt a shift in the air as everyone fell into a fighting stance.

"_Aragorn….Elessar…"_ The sound of Sauron's voice, dripping with evil sent a shiver up her spine. Aragorn dropped his sword from the attack position and took a step forward as he realized he was being addressed directly by Sauron himself. He turned to look back at Aurora, clearly befuddled.

"Let's give him hell." She said confidently. He gave her a small smile and a nod. After the way the journey had started for them, the raw hatred that Aragorn had shown her, it was amazing that now at the end of this war, they would fight side by side as allies. Turning away from her, Aragorn charged for the line of orcs, and all the men followed after him.

Aurora gripped the invisible line of energy she was holding tightly, and feeling a slight resistance on the other end; she knew she had what she wanted. Pulled back hard, she felt the earth shift, and two large boulders protruded and then fell from the wall surrounding Mordor. Pulling back further with her right hand she made a large arc in the air, the boulder flew up off the land where it had fallen and followed the path of the arc through the air, smashing into the front line of orcs. The effect was essentially a Flail made entirely of magic, with the boulder following the movements of Aurora's swing. The advantage to her magical form of this weapon was that Aurora would not tire out as easily as if she was bearing the brunt of the weapons weight herself, the magical energy she controlled was doing that work for her. One hand and then the other she continued to swing her large magical mace through the air, slamming into orcs and wiping out large sections at a time. She couldn't have been more thankful for the other men surrounding her though; using her magic like this left her almost completely vulnerable to close attack. She wouldn't have lasted ten minutes out there by herself.

The screech of Nazguls drew her eyes upward and away from the battle. The other six Nazguls that she hadn't killed were headed straight for them . Somewhere in her planning for this battle she had somehow forgotten about those other six…and that was kind of a big thing to forget. Frozen on the battlefield for a moment trying to understand how she had forgotten them, caught off guard by her own stupidity, she watched the Nazguls close in on the men. It was only the surprise of a group of large brown eagles smashing into the Nazguls that shook her from her own mind and focused her back on the battle. That momentary distraction from the battle had left her blind to an attack, and by the time she saw the troll it was too late to defend herself. She saw the large troll's arm above his head swing downward at her ,sword in hand. She opened her mouth to scream, but before a sound could leave her mouth she felt something large and heavy slam into her and taking her to the ground. Landing soundly on the bloodied dirt, the heavy object landing on top of her, she felt the broken ribs which had been set just before snap back out of their position. The scream of agony that left her lips turned every man's blood cold. Breathing instantly got harder and the pain, instead of subsiding began to multiply. It occurred to her than the ribs had maybe punctured a lung with this second break. She felt two hands on the sides of her face and opened her eyes to see Legolas kneeling above her, fear twisting his beautiful features into the perfect picture of angst. Reaching up to take his hands in her own, Aurora whimpered as another wave of pain filled her. She fought hard against the desire to faint, too many hours of her life had been spent passed out in pain from her injuries, sweet relief from the pain that wracked her body.

Opening her mind to the magic around her, she felt for her Foresight. As visions filled her eyes, her heart filled with a sense of warmth and happiness. In her visions she saw the Black tower fall and the eye of Sauron being extinguished.

"We did it." She whispered to Legolas, trying to conserve what little air she could pull into her lungs. Legolas turned to look at Mordor as a cry went up from all the men. Suddenly he threw his whole body over Aurora's as a wave of dust and large debris washed over them, and despite the pain Aurora knew that it meant they had indeed achieved a victory. Her visions changed quite quickly though, alarming Aurora as she watched the horrific visions. "Frodo," she gasped out and grabbed Legolas' shoulders with all the strength her fingers still had, "Frodo! Help him, save Frodo, go to Frodo!" She was near hysterics as she cried out.

"Gandalf," Legolas called to the white wizard, but it seemed Gandalf had heard her screams, Aurora caught sight of the wizard riding one of the large brown Eagles in the direction of Mt Doom. She lay there gasping, fighting against blacking out, her fingers found Legolas's and they intertwined.

"Please don't leave me," she begged. The elf held her fingers tight and pushed her blonde hair out of her eyes. Out of her peripheral vision she could see hundreds of orcs running in the direction opposite of Mordor.

"I will not leave you ever," he whispered and kissed her forehead, "we are safe now." And with all her heart and soul she knew he was right.

They were safe now.


	23. New Dawn

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the people from Lord of the Rings. These people belong to the beloved J.R. R. Tolkien. My only people are Aurora, Chad,Tansy,Arianna, Judith,Ray,Hazel,Prince Bardis,and the witch's council. Please don't use them without my permission. But if you ask...maybe.

I also use a lot of lines from the movie, these also belong to J.R.R. Tolkien and New line Cinema.

Chapter 23: New Dawn

Aurora took a long deep breath filling her lungs with the sweet taste of oxygen. It had taken weeks for the Healers to patch her back together, resetting the broken rib bones and then trying to fix the hole that had been punctured in her lung when Legolas had fallen on her to save her from that troll. Even after all this time had passed, she would get the most terrifying sense of not being able to breath and the only way to calm herself was to sit and indeed just breathe deeply. The exertion of the last six months really hadn't been much of a help to her healing state, with Sauron's demise and the defeat of his army, Middle Earth had to be rebuilt- and that was no small undertaking. Six months? Had it truly already been six months? Time really does go by fast when you don't have a Dark Lord trying to kill you. While it had slowed the physical healing process, keeping busy was an enormous help to her mental well being. After the Witches had helped rebuild Minas Tirith there had been Aragorn's coronation, and Aragorn and Arwen's wedding, and of course there was the business of the Witches that she now had to attend to.

She shifted uncomfortably in her chair for the hundredth time, having never been a fan of dresses much less spending a whole day in one. A large warm hand started to rub her back, easing some of the tension her muscles were holding onto so tightly.

"Your customs are very strange to me," Legolas said as he continued to rub her back. Looking up from the document she was working on, Aurora set her pen down and smiled at Legolas.

"You better get used to them fast, our wedding will be a strange mix of customs from your people and mine." In reality Legolas was being a champ about all the changes since he had come back to New York with Aurora. Being in a new world surrounded by all the technology and new people didn't seem to faze him at all, he took it all in stride and had adjusted better than Aurora ever could have hoped for. To have him here and to walk with him amongst her people was the realization of her ultimate dream, and there were days she had to pinch herself to assure it wasn't in fact an amazing dream.

"There won't be any blood will there?" He poked her in the ribs and Aurora let out a giggle.

"No there won't be blood, that's only for coronation ceremonies" She said and rolled her eyes. By comparison to Aragorn's coronation, Aurora's must have seemed outlandish. She looked down at the red ceremonial dress she had worn just that very morning to receive the crown of her people. She hadn't even taken the time to take the dress off, she immediately dove right into her new duties as Queen. _Queen_… the word didn't taste right on her tongue, and it felt even stranger signing her name _Aurora Borealis II, Her Royal Highness, Queen of the Witches_. In fact she had to rewrite several letters because she had signed her name wrong at the bottom. Old habits die hard. She picked her pen back up and attempted to finish the current draft of her succession bill, it was almost always the first thing signed by the new Queen. Now that she was in fact on the throne of her people, it was important that she name a successor in case anything happened to her. Legolas though seemed determined not to let her finish her work. He reached over and placed his hand over her writing hand, stopping her script in mid sentence.

"There are other things we could be doing," He said seductively and gave her a wicked smile. It was those 'other things' that had been distracting Aurora for the past few months, in fact half the paperwork Aurora was currently working on would have already been done if she and Legolas hadn't been having sex every waking moment they had been together since Sauron was defeated. But they had, literally since the moment the doctors had given her the okay to return to "normal activities", the poor doctor had barely made it out of the room before the two of them had pounced on each other. She blushed to think how she had been late for her own coronation ceremony this morning because they had been getting busy in the coat closet at the school. It was a wonder she had time to even plan a wedding.

"Legolas you seem determined to cause a scandal," And she returned his smile, " What will everyone think if I get pregnant three months before we get married?" She knew better though. Not being at war these past months had really given Aurora the opportunity to get in touch with her new aura and its effects on her Foresight, but that was a double edged sword, her control and focus was now so great she knew the exact time and place where she would conceive Legolas' child. Legolas pulled her to her feet so he could look for more fully in the eyes.

"I waited a thousand years to find you," he said quite seriously, "I do not see any reason I should wait another three months to have you." When his lips found hers, all her resolve was gone. Why did she even try to tell him no, she always ended up giving into desire. As the kiss deepened and their tongues danced together she knew she was never going to get this paperwork done. Oh well. Her breathing quickened and his hands started to roam her body, just the touch of him made her whole body come alive. The sound of someone loudly clearing their throat from the other side of the room brought the hot encounter to an end with both Legolas and Aurora letting out a groan of exasperation. Reluctantly pulling apart, Aurora straightened out her dress as she addressed the new comer.

"Hazel I hope you know that when Legolas and I are married we are going to expect privacy, which means you can't come barging in whenever you feel like it." The old witch at least had the decency to look abashed at catching the lovers mid act.

"You are in New York City, my dear, you will never really have privacy," Hazel's real identity as the first of Aurora's bloodline and her namesake was a secret she hadn't divulged to Legolas, or to anyone for that matter, so even though she had the utmost respect for Hazel, she needed to continue to act as though Hazel was nothing more than a family friend and royal confidant. "I am here just to pick up your bill of succession and have it notarized to place with the rest of the important royal documents. I trust you have it done." She raised an eyebrow and looked directly at Legolas, knowing full well that Aurora would rather be involved in more…amorous… activities with the Elf prince than doing paperwork.

"Uh yeah sure let me grab that for you," Spinning around Aurora snatched her pen back up and scribbled the last few lines necessary for the bill and signed her full royal title and name, she could practically feel Hazel's eyes judging her. Quickly scanning the document for any mistakes she handed the paper over to her most trusted counselor.

"My Queen," Hazel gave a small bow and abruptly left the lovers to continue their business. It warmed Hazel's heart to see Aurora in the throes of love this way, Being's knew the poor girl deserved it more than anyone. As she was leaving Aurora's apartment, she scanned the bill of succession for anything out of place, barely closing the door behind her when something made her stop. She wasn't able to put her finger on it, but _something_ was off. Hazel read the document she was holding three more times before the cause of her unease became apparent:

_In accordance with the Law and well being of my people; I, Aurora Borealis II, Her Royal Highness, Queen of the Witches, does so decree that the right to succession of my throne is as follows:_

_The immediate succession of my throne will so go to the first born child of myself and Prince Legolas Greenleaf, Lord of the Silvan Elves of Mirkwood. Any child born of our flesh and blood shall be the only legal and legitimate heir to my throne as leader of the Witch nation. Prince Legolas having no legal claim to the throne of the Witches, and the child having no right to the throne of the Elves, there shall be no dispute to the child's singular rule of our people as of her 21__st__ birthday._

_When in the event of my death before the child shall come of age to ascend to the throne, the rule of our people and the safeguard of the crown shall fall to Chadonoda Vejas, who I declare Steward of the Witch Nation. He shall be endowed with all the power, rights, and responsibilities of the crown until the rightful heir steps forward. Power is not granted to the steward to deny the return of the rightful heir. _

_If neither a rightful heir is produced and the Steward in unable or unwilling to accept responsibility, I do declare that the people's of the Witch Nation, being free and of a unified mind, do elect for themselves a new ruler. _

_So it shall be Law._

_Aurora Borealis II, Her Royal Highness, Queen of the Witches_

When. She had said "when in the event of my death", not IF. It had to be a fluke, Hazel was sure, ever since Hazel had confided in Aurora that there was no universal power at work that had her expiration date on hand, there was no reason Aurora should assume she would pass before her child was of age. Why would Aurora plan for her own death? And if she wasn't planning her death… what was she planning? Hazel had every intention of finding out. No sooner had she put her hand on the doorknob to return to Aurora's apartment to demand answers than the sound of a lamp being knocked over inside indicated that Aurora and Legolas had already returned to their activities. She gave a deep sigh that carried years of anguish and heartache as her hand slid off the doorknob. Deep inside her heart, Hazel prayed daily that the child knew what she was doing, if she was really prepared for the road she was going to start on when his bill of succession was signed into law.

"Being's help you, child," she whispered, offering up a prayer to any deity in any dimension that had the heart to listen to her pleas. The poor young witch was going to need it if Hazel's visions were to be trusted, and they were rarely wrong. At least Aurora now had someone to weather the storm with, hopefully with Legolas by her side Aurora would be able to navigate the hell that Hazel knew lay ahead. For such a young lovely couple, the world should offer up only the best, but as the old witch could testify… the road only got bumpier from here.

**To Be Continued…..**

**Author's Note: Coming soon! Lady of the Book 4:The journey home **


End file.
